To Serve And Protect
by Sandylee007
Summary: NOW REWRITTEN Sasuke’s job is to protect. She’s the best and knows it. What happens when she meets her greatest challenge named Naruto, who’s supposed to live until an important trial? Will she be able to protect him, and herself from him? AU NaruFEMSasu
1. Intro

REWRITTEN

A/N: So, here's the first one of the contest winners, waiting for your judgement as to whether it's worthy of going on from here!

(I'm thinking of sending the 'three big ones' in waves, so that they'll all be out before Christmas. Does that sound like a plan?)

Before starting out… Once more ENORMOUS thank yous for all those votes! It's thanks to you guys this fic's seeing daylight today. (HUGS)

Awkay, because I bet you'd like to get to the business already… Here we go – the introduction chapter for To Serve And Protect! I REALLY hope you'll enjoy.

* * *

**To Serve And Protect**

* * *

_Not all stories are finished where most of them meet the final lines. In some occasions, one must go to the very beginning before the tale finally ends._

" Are you going out?" Kiba Inuzuka's half asleep voice inquired.

" Yeah. Why?"

Kiba went back to resting on a couch and scratching his dog's, Akamaru's, fur. " Be good while I'm not keeping an eye on you."

There was a snort. " Pervert."

_A circle must be closed._

" R – Run, you i– idiot… He… He's…"

Naruto didn't budge from where he was. Steps were heard.

A gun that shone like silver in moonlight was lifted. " Sorry about this. This is nothing personal."

_Sometimes, however, the closure may face a twist of fate…_

A small bird that'd been sitting on a rooftop gave a scream and got to its wings as fast as possible, a gunshot disturbing its peace.

* * *

CHAPTER 1: Intro

* * *

**Six Months Earlier.**

* * *

While walking through already dark streets of Tokyo, twenty-three years old Naruto Uzumaki counted that today, it was exactly five years from when he'd moved into the city – surprised everyone and left his old life as well as his tiny hometown, Konoha, behind.

That day, he'd been relieved beyond any belief to get to start a new life, away from _everything_. Now, however – with rain beating his face and a long, frustrating day of work in a coffee shop behind – no amount of reasoning kept him from wishing he could've gone back to the start, at least for a little while.

His depressed thoughts were cut sharply when something he would've never expected facing practically ran into him. From behind a corner a man with black eyes and equally dark hair that had a pot-haircut wobbled into view, clutching one hand tightly to a badly bleeding chest wound and gasping.

In some other situation the expression that appeared to his face could've been described as comical. His eyes widened and bulged until they almost popped out, and all colour disappeared from his skin. He couldn't bring himself to speak or move until the stranger was only two steps away. " Hey, geez… What happened? Are you…?" He didn't bother to finish; it was quite obvious that the raven was _not_ okay.

His heart hammered while the man's full weight landed against him, leaning for support, and he could already feel warm blood that stained his clothes. Dark eyes were filled with several emotions from pain to terror when finding his. " R – Run, you i– idiot…", the other rasped. There was a clonk when something the man had been holding fell to ground. " He… He's…"

He couldn't even breathe before a chilling, ear splittingly loud bang echoed through the alleyway. For a second or so everything was perfectly still, then – as though in a slowed motion – the unfamiliar man slid to the ground, dead. Pool of blood stained pavement rain had made black, coming from a gunshot wound that'd just appeared to the raven's head. It was obvious that nothing could be done for the man anymore.

While he stared at the corpse with wide, disbelieving eyes and shuddered like a leaf, he wished from the bottom of his heart that he would've managed to scream or move, _anything_. But something was blocking his airways, and his limbs were much heavier than concrete.

It was then his eyes spotted something that despite the horrendous situation nailed his attention. There, lay on the ground, was what looked like a cd or a disk of some sort.

The crackling, panicked male-voice that came next startled him so badly that he jumped backwards. " _Lee? Lee, answer me, damnit! Are you in there?!_"

Rain and still flooding terror almost managed to block his ears from the sounds of splashes as steps approached. Very slowly, unwillingly, lifting his gaze he found a grey haired young man with glasses approaching. His already huge eyes widened even further when a silvery weapon was lifted against him. " Sorry about this." For some reason his gaze locked to a snake tattoo on the other's wrist that shone like dried blood in pale moonlight. " This is nothing personal."

With thoughts and memories flashing by in a flood, he prepared himself for the final seal. But for once in his life he had luck.

There was another bang – much sharper than the one he'd heard before – and the grey haired man threatening him spun around with a breathtaking speed, firing some fast shots towards a nearby roof. And it was then he saw his opportunity arriving.

Having barely any control over his actions he snatched the disk he'd seen on the ground, then ran, not really knowing where he was going. He didn't even care about the destination, so long as it was away from the shooting.

As soon as he was at a distance he considered safe, he threw up loudly, some tears spilling to his at the moment snow-white cheeks. He was trembling so badly that the disk barely remained in his hold.

What the hell had he just seen?!

* * *

By the time Naruto finally made it home – after taking all possible detours and ending up lost for five times because of shock – it was already midnight.

He wasn't surprised to find his roommate and best friend Kiba Inuzuka awake, flipping through channels quite dully. " Well look who finally shows up. Did you find the…?" Black eyes then turned towards him, and widened dramatically when spotting his pale features and all the already dried blood staining his clothes. " Holy shit! What did you do this time?"

In any other situation he might've been annoyed, but now he only kept shivering and feeling like throwing up. " I…" He swallowed hard. " You'll… never believe this."

Kiba's eyebrow bounced high up. " Try me."

* * *

Three days after those events, Naruto was getting a splitting headache while sitting in the office of a highly noted prosecutor, Jiraiya. " We've been through this for thousand times already!" he whined, running a hand through his hair with great exasperation. " How many more times do I have to retell the events of that night? It isn't exactly the highlight of my life."

The man gave him a look of understanding. " I know, kid. But it sounds like you're dealing with a man we've been chasing and trying to nail for the past ten years already. We want to make sure we've got all the facts right so we'll get this over with."

He was by no means a genius, but he'd been lied to enough during his lifetime to know that he wasn't told everything. " This is a huge case, right?"

Jiraiya hesitated before nodding slowly. " Yeah."

Did the room's temperature just drop? Because he was shivering. " I'm… the only living witness, aren't I?"

" No. But you're definitely the best we've got so far. You may be exactly what we've been praying for."

Something warm bubbled in his stomach. He swallowed although it was a difficult task. " You'll protect me from those creeps, won't you?" For several nights he'd gotten barely any sleep, afraid that the grey haired freak would somehow make it into his room and…

Jiraiya's expression became so solemn that it scared him. " I'm sorry kid, but… We can't guarantee protection good enough for you. But I know people who can…" The man pulled out a small card that had few words imprinted to it. " There's an organization called 'ANBU' – Root is specialized in highly classified missions, Black Ops in witness protection. During twenty active years they've only lost two or three clients." The man dared to grin a bit. " If there's anyone who can protect you, it's they."

He also grinned, his chest feeling much lighter now. " Then what are we waiting for? Give me a phone." After all, things couldn't get any worse from here, right?

* * *

Sasuke Uchiha's hands were perfectly even when she lifted her weapon, then fired four carefully darted shots, each of them roaring the exact same second thunder did outside.

" _Sasuke._"

Her eyes narrowed while she fired a fifth shot, coming to a conclusion that the voice belonged to one of the ghosts in the back of her head.

" _Sasuke!_"

Sixth shot, which almost shattered the board to which she was aiming.

" Sasuke!"

Finally convinced that this voice was in fact a real one, she put away her gun and removed earplugs while turning around to face her boss, Kakashi Hatake. " What?" Her tone certainly wasn't such that would've been smart to be used when talking to a superior. But she'd known Kakashi far too long to care, especially after some sleepless nights.

The man's face didn't weaver. " We just got a new client." There was a beat's pause. " Jiraiya requested you."

She arched an eyebrow. " Oh…?" She knew exactly what kind of a mission there'd be to come if she was the one asked to take care of it.

Things would get messy.

" Look, the last mission was… rough, to say the very least, and officially you're still recovering." Kakashi's eyes held sympathy she wouldn't have expected to find from them. " I understand if you…"

She didn't want to listen to that. " Spare both our time and tell me about the mission."

There was still some reluctance upon her boss' face. " It's… Orochimaru related. Apparently Kabuto had a mission." The man held a pause, contemplating. " Sasuke… Lee's dead."  
Only pride kept her eyes from widening. " What?" She took a moment to compose herself. " Why the hell didn't anyone tell me?!"

" You only just came back to work today. I asked everyone not to bother you with it just yet." The man sighed, running a hand through silvery hair. " I gave Sakura a month off, but I doubt she'll stay away that long."

Blood boiled in her veins, just like pretty much every time Orochimaru was brought up. This had gone too far… " Do we have any witnesses?"

" Actually, yes. And that's your mission." Kakashi's face held the same hard look as always when the man gave an assignment. " Apparently a young man named Naruto Uzumaki saw pretty much the entire thing. He stayed there so long that he eventually caught a good look of Kabuto. He's willing to testify."

She grit her teeth so tightly that even Kakashi must've heard the screech. _So there's finally hope…_ " Where can I find that idiot?"

Neither of the two could've ever imagined what kind of a wheel spun into motion that day…

* * *

TBC???

* * *

A/N: So… Whadda you say – should this one get a chance?

I must warn you… If you want this to continue, with all the projects going on I'm not entirely sure of when I'll be able to update. BUT, I'm more than willing to try my very hardest if you find this worthy of giving a shot. (grins)

**PLEASE**, do send a review before you go!

Until laters, guys – have a great rest of the Halloween time!

Be good!


	2. Many Meetings

REWRITTEN

A/N: Yosh! It took longer than I would've liked, but I'm baaaack – and I've got a new chapter with me! (grins like a maniac) (Sorry. I'm totally hyper today – I just got some relieving news from my doctor and teacher as well, so I'm bouncing all over the walls here. Bear with me, yeah?) (winces)

Ah, firstly, of course… GOSH! You guys **really** want this to continue, don't you? So many AMAZING reviews… (gawks with shock) THANK YOU, thank you – you can't even imagine how happy you've made me! (HUGS) (**Anonymous reviewers**, your responses can be found from underneath the chappy.) (smirks)

Heh, seeing as you're probably itching to get started already, let's get going, yeah? Ladies and gentlemen, I now present to you the first REAL chapter of 'TSAP'! I really hope you'll have a good time.

* * *

Warm sunrays of early morning played on Sasuke's milky, scarred skin while she fastened her holster, then started to pull on her clothes, drifting deep in thought.

Today, she'd meet Uzumaki Naruto for the first time. A nasty feeling in the pit of her stomach already warned her that this mission wasn't going to be one of her easiest ones.

She shuddered barely traceably when there was movement, and a demanding, lust filled kiss was planted nearby her neck while arms laced around her waistline. " Morning", a male-voice purred, sending a shiver down her spine. " Did you think you'd be able to flee without me noticing?"

She rolled her eyes while putting her weapons where they belonged. " Suigetsu, we're both aware of the nature of our 'relationship', and we're too adults to play anything else. So drop the act, will you?"

Suigetsu chuckled. " I love how bitchy you are before missions." Turning her head slightly, she felt between amused and annoyed when seeing how the young man's eyes examined her almost fully dressed form. " So… What's this case gonna be like?"

She snorted a bit. " Infuriating. I just hope that idiot knows his own damn good well enough not to put up a fight about everything." She scowled a bit when one of her knives jarred an old wound. " Damnit…"

Suigetsu scoffed a bit. " I can't believe Tsunade gave you a clean bill of health."

She shrugged. " If she's happy, so should you be." She took a look at her wristwatch. " I have to go. I promised to meet that dobe at nine."

" Giving pet names already? I feel dejected." Suigetsu grinned toothily and gave her neck a bite before letting her go. " Have fun. See you around."

There was a "Hn" before she was out of the room.

* * *

CHAPTER 2: Many Meetings

* * *

Naruto had lost track on how many times he'd circled around he and Kiba's shared apartment that morning, biting his nails so hard that there was pretty much nothing left of them anymore.

Eventually Kiba, who was also home trying to enjoy spending a lazy Saturday, had enough. He emitted a tiny cry of startle when a slice of an apple was thrown at him.

He cast a somewhat insulted look towards his roommate. " Hey! What the heck was that for?"

Kiba's expression remained sour. " For you driving me insane! Do you have any idea of how long you've been bouncing all over the place?" The brunette pointed towards a door with a tiny knife he'd been using on an apple. " Akamaru hasn't dared to leave my room for hours."

He grinned sheepishly. " 'Sorry. It's just that a lot's happened lately." _Seeing some guy get butchered, almost getting killed and having to fear for my life – such nice things_, he listed mentally.

Just then they both jolted and Akamaru left Kiba's room with loud barks when there was a firm knock on the apartment's door. Once they'd exchanged a look he walked up to open.

From the very beginning he'd had a picture of his bodyguard in his mind – a harsh looking, scarred man in his mid thirties who smoked non-stop was what he'd been imagining. What he found when opening up the door certainly wasn't what he'd expected. For stood before him was a woman he found very attractive at his age with flaming onyx eyes and long, also black hair on a ponytail.

One eyebrow rose at him. " Uzumaki Naruto?"

He nodded very slowly and gulped, his throat feeling very dry all of a sudden. " Uh-huh."

" I'm Uchiha Sasuke. I'll be your bodyguard until Orochimaru's trial will be over in about six months." After a stilled moment irritation appeared to her face. " Are you going to let me in?"

He grinned sheepishly while stepping to side, allowing the raven to enter. " Heh, sorry. I was just…" Honestly, he had absolutely no idea.

" Hn", was Sasuke's response while the woman's eyes scanned through the apartment.

Before he could come up with how to proceed Kiba saved him. The brunette smiled brightly while holding out a hand for Sasuke, a predatory look in his eyes Naruto knew far too well. " Hey there. I'm Kiba, Naruto's roommate."

Sasuke's eyebrow rose. She didn't take the offered hand, instead folded her arms. " Kakashi never mentioned a roommate."

Naruto waved a hand. " Nah, Kiba's harmless." He patted Akamaru, which had also appeared to greet the arrival. " And so is this little thing."

Sasuke didn't seem all that excited. " Well, if we're finally done with the introductions… Let's talk about rules."

Naruto fought hard to hold back a groan.

* * *

Kakashi had never liked the meetings the leaders of ANBU had twice a month. Not only did they require a lot of paperwork and headache, but they also meant that he had to sit in the same table with Danzou, the leader of Root.

But fair enough, the meetings also had their tiny highlights. One major one of such was watching Gekkou Hayate, his executive officer, and Uzuki Yuugao, Danzou's greatest spy, dancing around each other.

" You still haven't asked her out, have you?"

Hayate started to cough violently – due to one of his usual fits or the coffee the man had been trying to gulp down, one can only guess. The man cast a somewhat moody look towards him. " It's…" There was one more cough. " … not that easy for us all, okay?"

It took a lot of him not to smirk. " Sure it is." He nodded towards Yuugao, who was currently flipping through a file. " You're a grown man. Ask her out during the next six months." As an afterthought he added. " And that's an order. Because if you don't, I will."

The man shook his head, seeming mildly amused. " You…" There was a yet another set of coughs. " … are a cruel man." The man then noticed something behind him and all but winced. " I just remembered that I've got paperwork to do." With that the man started to speed off, coughing all the way.

" Kakashi." It took a lot of him not to scowl when Danzou's very unwanted voice drifted into his ears. " I heard you managed to find… a witness."

He nodded stiffly while turning around, not bothering to try and hide his revulsion. " That's right." He didn't quite understand the meaning of this interrogation. Danzou knew he didn't talk about missions with this high classification.

The older man's eyes moved towards the huge room spreading below them, where several of his employees were taking care of their daily duties. " I see Sasuke isn't around." Hard eyes strayed towards him. " Are you sure she's… stable enough for something like this after what happened?"

He grit teeth, feeling fully ready to kill. " She's my best agent, Danzou. And I know my employees well enough to be able to tell when the time's right to go back to field." His eyes then spotted two people he hadn't expected to see yet down below; ANBU's newest recruit to replace Lee, a man named Sai – and Sakura. " Now, if you're done with chitchatting… we've got some real job to do."

A loud growl crawled through Danzou's throat when the man turned sharply, starting to all but stomp away. " This isn't finished, Hatake."

_I know_, he mused sourly. But at least there was now a small break.

Sighing inwardly, he started to follow the older.

* * *

In the meantime Naruto felt like he'd been back in junior high all over again.

Sasuke's eyes were dangerous when looking into his. " First of all, no stupidities. I won't accept clients who's life expectancy can be counted in days."

He nodded slowly. " Sure…" He could only wonder what the woman meant with 'stupidities'.

" Good. I'm glad we understand each other." Dark eyes seemed to gain a touch of fire. " Rule number two. For as long as you're under my guard, you won't be going anywhere alone – that much should be clear. Number three…" She threw a tiny device at him. " That's a transmitter. If we're ever apart for some reason and you get into a trouble, push the button and I'll be there."

Was that curiosity he spotted in Kiba's eyes when the brunette took a look at the device? " Now that's neat."

Seeing the man's expression, Sasuke gave a glare and went on. " Rule number four. No relationships – with either one of you. This is purely duty, nothing more."

Naruto shrugged. " Sounds good to me." He then spotted a nearly scarred wound on the back of the Uchiha's hand. It looked like something had been slammed right through skin and flesh. He couldn't contain his curiosity. " Where's that from? Does it hurt?"

Sasuke all but glared at him. " I almost forgot to add rule number five", she stated in a stiff tone. " No personal questions. Your life story is none of my business, and mine is sure as hell none of yours. Are we clear?"

He gave the woman a very dry look. " We won't be doing a lot of socializing, right?"

Dark eyes flashed his way, carrying deep irritation. " Do you want someone who keeps you alive, or a new playmate? Because you won't be getting both."

He responded with sticking out his tongue, although he had no idea of where such a gesture came from.

Sasuke rolled her eyes skywards. " So I'm going to be a babysitter. Very nice." They all then tensed up a bit when the woman's cell phone started to buzz in her pocket. She cast a meaningful glance towards him. " I'll be back in a minute, so stay put."

Once they could be sure she was out of earshot, Kiba gave a small whistle. " Woah… Now _that's_ a firecracker."

He scoffed, looking at his friend with disbelief. " You've gotta be kidding me!"

The brunette shrugged. " So she's a piece of work. But you've gotta admit that at least she's very pleasant to look at."

He snorted, glancing towards the direction to which Sasuke had disappeared. " I just wish she'd have a 'mute' button on her."

Kiba wasn't able to hold back a laughter although they heard the woman hang up in another room.

The raven arched an eyebrow at them once returning, but didn't ask a thing. " It was Jiraiya", she announced instead. " Time to move."

* * *

If one would've asked Haruno Sakura's friends to describe her personality, they would've all given at least one word – stubborn. She'd been headstrong since the day she was born a month too soon, and in her job that personality trait had kept her alive through many missions.

That's why she found herself back in the huge base building of ANBU much earlier than she'd been supposed to return, although it hurt nearly more than she could bear to face all the memories.

She glanced towards a reception desk, gaze locking to the flowers placed on it.

* * *

/ _When entering ANBU's base for the very first time, the thing her eyes caught were flowers placed into a extremely beautiful vase on reception desk. Unable to resist the temptation, she touched them._

" _You're new, aren't you?" She jumped a bit at the male voice, then turned around to meet who she soon knew to be Lee._

_She blinked twice. " Yeah." She felt like wincing. " Is it that obvious?"_

_He shook his head, grinning. " No. It's just that no one else around here shows enough youth to pay attention to things like that."_

_She felt like blushing, although she didn't know why. " Uh… Thanks, I guess." After a beat's hesitation, she offered a hand towards him. " I'm Sakura."  
The young man's smile became unnaturally bright. " My name is Lee. It's very nice to meet you."_

_As from then all the way until he died, she got one flower from him every day._ /

* * *

Just then, without any warning, she bumped into something warm and soft. In a couple of seconds she gasped loudly when feeling burning somewhere around her chest area and stomach.

" Are you alright?" The male voice was smooth, pleasant, but seemed to lack something. Lifting her gaze, she found a quite attractive man with nearly white skin, black eyes and dark, shortcut hair. He offered her a napkin. " You really should look where you're going."

Feeling a slash of irritation, she snatched the napkin and started to fix the damage as well as possible. " So should you."

He shrugged nonchalantly. " I'm not the one who walked around like a zombie and got coffee all over me."

Her left eyebrow twitched. " You seriously don't know when to shut up, do you?"

" Sai, I didn't expect you to arrive yet." Turning their heads they found Danzou, beside whom walked Kakashi.

Sakura felt like gulping thickly when seeing the look Kakashi darted towards her. " I didn't expect to see you, either." Something changed in the man's eyes. " But, now that you're here, I've got a task for you."

Danzou didn't let the man finish before speaking to Sai. " We've caught traces of an organization called the Akatsuki. I want you to start investigations."

The younger man nodded. " Alright."

Kakashi picked up from there. " This is a joined operation of Root and Black Ops. Sakura, you'll be helping Sai gather information."

Sakura felt her eyes widen. " What?!" She then growled. " I won't be doing paperwork for this…"

" Sakura." Kakashi's gaze was hard, yet hid something that looked like sympathy. " I understand you don't like this, but right now this is where you're needed the most." The man then spoke so quietly that only she could hear. " I'm pretty sure Lee would like to see you do this instead of running around aimlessly and unprepared."

The mention of Lee's name did the trick. Her shoulders slumped while she accepted her fate. " Fine." If it'd require working with an idiot like Sai to avenge Lee's death, she'd do it.

Kakashi all but grinned. " Good. Now get to work – there's a lot you'll have to do."

* * *

During the past days Naruto had been in Jiraiya's office for so many times that he knew the room and the whole building almost perfectly.

The man greeted him with a nod and smile, then cast a somewhat curious look towards Sasuke. " I see you finally got your bodyguard."

He scoffed inwardly. " Yeah…" He then chased his thoughts elsewhere. " So, what's up? Sasuke was pretty secretive about this meeting."

The look in Jiraiya's eyes chilled him a bit. " We've found something… interesting." The man pulled out a couple of pictures. " Does that symbol seem familiar to you?"

Looking at the pictures, he found cold shivers running down his spine. They were of two corpses, or more like necks of such. Soon enough, however, his eyes locked to what they should've. Both necks carried a strange, black spiral like symbol – a tattoo, he figured.

He frowned. " No, I…" Then pieces of memories clicked. That disk he'd found… Hadn't it had such a picture on its cover? He gasped faintly. " Wait, yes! I've seen this before."

Jiraiya's eyes lit up with hope. " Can it be connected with the murder you saw?"

He nodded. " Yeah, I suppose." He frowned again. " What's this about?"

Jiraiya took the pictures from him. There was a somewhat strange look in the man's eyes. " I'll tell you when I know more." The older then grinned. " Now get going. I know it isn't exactly entertaining for you to be here. I'll call one of you if anything new comes up."

He was more than happy to obligate.

-

As soon as they stepped to a street outside the courthouse, Naruto rubbed his hands together with excitement. " Now, I'm starving! Let's go and get some ramen."

Sasuke snorted. " It's only eleven. You can't seriously be thinking of junk food already. Besides, it's the safest to take you directly back home."

He scoffed. " You're paid for being my bodyguard, not my lifestyle coach, right? So shut it."

Sasuke snorted, sounding like she'd muttered " Pain in the ass…".

It was at that moment he decided he'd had enough. " You know what? I don't even need you!" Throwing Sasuke's rules into a dumpster, he stepped out of the shadows they'd chosen and spread his arms wide, making sure that he could be seen from everywhere. " See? Nothing! So feel free to leave me alone!"

Sasuke growled, sounding dangerously close to a deranged animal. " Step away, _now_!"

It wasn't until then he noticed that there was a rather dangerous looking red spot dancing nearby his chest and felt his eyes widen. He never got the chance to move before Sasuke worked for him. He gasped when astonishing amount of force threw him against a wall and trapped him there. Gunshots that sounded like explosions to him echoed for a tireless age until whoever had been attacking ran out of bullets, and it became so silent that his ears hurt.

He gulped thickly when a '45 was aimed directly at his skull. " Do that ever again…", Sasuke hissed through her teeth. " … and I'll shoot you myself."

He stared at her for a moment, then snorted. " You wouldn't do that."

" No, I wouldn't", Sasuke stated calmly, putting the gun away. " I'd strangle you in your sleep."

He glared at the woman's back while she went. " Not if I get to you first."

He got a firm right hook as a reward for his witty comment.

" Hey!" he whined, pressing a hand to his now sore eye. " You're not supposed to hit clients!"

Sasuke snorted. " My job is to keep you alive, not unharmed."

He scoffed. " Wiseass…"

The woman's eyes flashed towards him. " You've still got one healthy eye, you know?" She surveyed first his physical condition, then the nearby rooftops. " Now let's get going. We've obviously got a lot of talking to do when it comes to your safety."

He swallowed whatever there'd been on his mind and remained in a sulking silence.

_This'll be long six months…_, he mused darkly.

-

Already quite far, a young woman with a bizarre haircut and dark, glass-covered eyes pulled out her cell-phone. " It's Karin." Eyes flashed when lights of a car passing by hit them. " I spotted our target. And there's also something… interesting you should know."

* * *

Elsewhere, Kabuto's eyebrow rose when a woman with long, brown hair on a ponytail entered a huge office. " Nazeki TenTen signs up for duty", she informed, her steely, formal voice sending shivers of pleasure through him. (1)

Sitting in a huge chair nearby, Orochimaru greeted the arrival with a nod, a dangerous look in his eyes. " Welcome, then. I assume Kabuto already explained our rules and gave your job description yesterday?"

TenTen nodded this time, her expression unwavering. " That's right. Traitors, interferences and delays… aren't allowed."

" Very good", Orochimaru murmured in a purring voice, then looked towards Kabuto. " Could you please show her to level four?"

He nodded slightly more eagerly than he'd indented. " Of course." He looked towards the woman, allowing his gaze to measure her up. " Follow me. I'll show you where you'll be working as from tomorrow."

Somewhat brisling silence lingered while they walked through white hallways, then entered a elevator that took them all the way to underground. Scent of antiseptics and something that reminded him of death could be sensed in the air when they finally stepped into level four.

He pointed towards three huge, white doors that had 'L1', 'L2' and 'L3' written on them. " Those are the laboratories in which you'll be working. Most of the work consists of making different tests and examining the subjects – those are all things I assume you're familiar with."

The woman nodded, looking around as though evaluating. Just then a loud, heart wrenching scream ran through the entire floor. The brunette looked at him with one eyebrow high up. " I assume that's nothing uncommon?"

He waved a hand dismissively. " It's just one of the subjects – nothing important." He then turned to leave. " Feel free to look around. I'll see you tomorrow."

" See you tomorrow."

-

As soon as she could be sure that she was alone, TenTen pressed a device nearby her right ear. " Danzou? I just thought I should report I'm in."

-

In the meantime Kabuto returned to Orochimaru's office. His eyebrow immediately quirked at the look upon the man's face. " Has something come up?"

" We just received a new lead of that pest who saw you at work." There was an unmistakable tinge of pleasure in the older man's voice. Eccentric, chilling snake's eyes flashed. " Soon enough, we'll be able to get rid of a huge problem and take back what's ours…"

* * *

A/N: So Orochimaru's up to something. (shudders) Thank heavens our favourite kitsune has Sasuke protecting him (unless she kills him first…)!

So… Are you still in the mood for more? **PLEASE**, don't forget to leave a comment! I've got some chocolate cake I don't hesitate to use as a bribe… (wink, wink)

Owkay, I've got tons of things on my 'to do' –list, so I'm afraid I'll have to get going.

Until laters, guys!

Take care!

* * *

**Zandam**: (sniffs) Lee's dead indeed. Poor thing! (Though we'll have to wait and see if he gets to say "youthfull" in this one…) (grins)

Heh, I love Naruto, too! (HUGGLES until the kitsune almost turns blue) He's definitely one of the most endearing anime-characters ever. As for Sasuke… Hn. I've liked him, although I've found him VERY infuriating at times, and I'm trying to cling to the faith I have in him being able to regain his senses. (I'm beyond afraid that Kishi-kun's going to waste a character with potential completely.) BUT, I'm above happy to hear you like my Sasuke! (smirks from ear to ear)

This is your FIRST FEMSasu?! (gasps) Welcome aboard, then! We'll see if you'll get addicted to the idea as I am once you read more NaruFEMSasu fics. (snickers)

GIGANTIC thank yous for the review! I really hope you'll be staying tuned for more!


	3. Familiar Faces

REWRITTEN

A/N: GOSH! It took a lot of work, but today I was hit by such a burst of inspiration that the new chapter is FINALLY here. HOORAY! (dances around, not even noticing flying tranquillisers)

Burst firstly… Goodness – thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for all those mind blowing reviews! (huggles each and every single one of you TIGHTLY) You can't even imagine how happy it makes me to see that this fic has friends already. (grins like a little sunshine)

All righty then, because it's getting VERY late and I'll fall asleep on my computer soon, here we go! 'Hope you'll enjoy!

WARNING: I'm in a HUGE hurry and dead tired, so my proofreading probably stinks. (winces) I really hope this turned out decent anyway!

* * *

/ **Two Weeks Later.** /

* * *

During his life eight years old Konohamaru had grown used to making money of everything he possibly could. (1) As a street rat (which was what most called him) he didn't really have a choice, no matter how much some of the things he did sickened him.

That night of fall that was slowly dawning to a day, he knew from wide experience that he'd be getting plenty of money soon when a man with grey hair, sharp glass covered eyes and long, black jacket walked towards him.

He pushed himself up from the street he'd been occupying. " Can I help you, sir?" He'd learned the hard way that sweet talking worked much better than frowns.

Or so it was with most. This man looked at him as though he'd been nothing more than an insect. " I need you to deliver a package for me. I've gathered you're friends with Uzumaki Naruto."

He nodded, somewhat alarmed. How could this guy know about his friends? " That's right." Looking towards the man's hands, he found a package that wasn't much bigger than a candy box. It seemed harmless enough. " Is that it?"

The man nodded. " Yes."

He quirked an eyebrow. Now came the best part. " How much will you pay me?"

Unhurriedly, the man showed what looked like thirty thousand yens to him, eyes blank. (2) " Make sure he has this package in twenty-four hours or I'll look for you and get that money back. Got it?"

He nodded, chills running down his spine. He accepted the money and the package when they were handed to him. " Of course."

With that the man turned around sharply and walked away.

He shivered a bit, but in the end decided that money was money. He had a job to do.

* * *

CHAPTER 3: Familiar Faces

* * *

Very early that morning, Sasuke woke up from the mattress she'd occupied every night for two weeks when hearing sounds of fear and discomfort that disturbed her sleep. It didn't take her long to figure out where the noises were coming from, and she prepared her gun in a second, eyes flashing.

Something was wrong with Naruto.

Her moves were soundless and quick while she made her way to the blonde's room. She stood behind the door for about two seconds, listening, before sneaking in. Her eyebrows furrowed while she listened and scanned through the room carefully, prepared for anything and her weapon held high. Nothing seemed to be wrong.

All of a sudden Naruto emitted what sounded like a tiny gasp, then muttered barely coherently. " What are you…? Don't…!"

She understood in an instant, and put away the weapon with a loud growl.

_Nightmares. Nice…_

She wasn't sure if she felt more annoyed or infuriated for having been bothered with something like this, but nonetheless couldn't make herself leave the room. Instead she walked up to the blond, feeling uncharacteristically confused as to what to do.

Naruto's bad dreams, it seemed, intensified just as she stopped, because the sounds the man was making grew louder, and usually rather cheerful face filled with an incredible amount of fear.

Giving in to something lingering deep underneath her skin she raised a hand and laid it to the whimpering Uzumaki's cheek. The change she met was so dramatic that she had to blink twice uncharacteristically.

At once all noises and restless movements stopped, and Naruto calmed down completely, leaning eagerly against the warmth of her touch. Former terror was replaced by the tiniest of smiles.

She sighed and closed her eyes, far from comfortable with the situation. _This_ was _not_ a part of her job description.

After what felt like hours although her wristwatch said no more than fifteen minutes had passed, Naruto finally calmed down, sinking deep into untroubled sleep. Slowly, not wanting to risk waking up the blonde, she pulled her hand away from him. She was confused by how hard it was to turn around and walk out of the room.

She was somewhat surprised to find Kiba walking out of a bathroom, scratching his head and yawning. She'd never thought of the brunette as an early bird.

Once noticing him, the man immediately stopped scratching with some embarrassment. " So those bad dreams woke you up, too?" The Inuzuka then realized something and frowned with apparent suspicion. " What were you doing in his room, anyway?"

She fought the urge to growl. " Something I shouldn't have to do." She then started to make her way towards the apartment's kitchen. " I'm going to make some breakfast. Are you going to help or keep asking pointless questions?"

She could just tell Kiba rolled his eyes before following her, muttering something she couldn't make out.

* * *

TenTen had completed many missions, most of them hard both physically and mentally. But nonetheless the past two weeks had been almost more than she could bear.

Orochimaru's laboratory was a hell. In two weeks she'd treated – or tried to, at least – several 'subjects' with so badly disturbed minds that it'd taken a lot of her to not burst into tears. And all those so-called scientific experiments she'd seen… This was no place for human beings.

With those thoughts circling around her head, it wasn't easy to keep her expression blank while Kabuto led her towards a new laboratory. " Today, you'll make a little check up on number 2751. I should warn you, though. He's quite unpredictable – don't look him into eyes, and avoid fast movements. Understood?"

She nodded, fighting the urge to shiver. " Of course. I did read through the file."

" Good." The man opened a huge, heavily locked door. " You've got ten minutes."

Without giving much of a response she entered, and instantly felt her heart jump.

Sitting on the floor, with his back leaned against a wall and arms wrapped around his legs, sat an undeniably attractive young man with long, white hair and startlingly dull green eyes.

She spoke after gathering herself for a moment. " 'Morning."

She broke Kabuto's rules in a matter of seconds. Their eyes met, and in a flash she could tell that there was something strange going on. It was like she'd _known_ him. She didn't pay attention to those thoughts then, though – after all, this was a duty, an assignment she needed to take care of.

The young man glanced towards her with more suspicion than she'd ever met before, his muscles tensing up so that she prepared herself to fight. " I've… never seen you before." His voice was husky, most likely due to lack of use.

She nodded while starting to prepare her equipment, her eyes scanning through the room for security cameras as subtly as possible. She detected five. " That's right", she confirmed. She felt a heavy sting in her chest while preparing a needle almost full of brownish substance, barely daring to think of what it was. " But now… It's time for your medication and examination."

The man's – Kimimaro's, as she remembered learning from his file – eyes turned dark and defeated, and she had difficulties with hiding her emotions. " Alright", he outstretched an arm, and she was chilled by how many needle marks covered it. " You should get over with it fast. The symptoms are growing stronger already."

She frowned lightly. " Symptoms?" She'd seen the other… subjects. If this man was anything like they, she was in a trouble.

Kimimaro refused to look at her while she started to prepare his arm. " Hmm."

The next few moments ticked by in a silence. The man winced slightly when she pushed a needle through his skin, but didn't move. Quite soon the drug had been given, and the man relaxed slightly, starting to breathe more easily.

She couldn't keep herself from asking, although she'd sworn to herself that she wouldn't get attached. " Are you okay?"

Kimimaro looked up at her with apparent surprise. It took a while before he spoke. " You seem… different from the others."

_Yeah_, she thought bitterly, starting to prepare for a medical check up. _I wish I was_. " I'm going to listen to your breathing and measure your blood pressure. Stay as still and quiet as you can, alright?"

He nodded, stiffening once more when she touched his skin.

Making every move as carefully as possible she checked out his vitals, and didn't like the results.

His heart… carried a strange side tone to it unlike anything she'd ever heard before. And although he seemed pretty terrified, his blood pressure was much lower than average.

Just what was she dealing with?

The room's door opened just as she was about to make questions. When turning her head she found Kabuto, who had a demanding look upon his face. " What's taking you so long?"

With how much training she'd been through, she wasn't fazed by his tone. " I was supposed to make a proper medical check up, right?" She glanced towards 'the subject' – a human being who's eyes now held so little trust when looking into hers that it broke her heart – and felt the need to say something. " I will come back soon, okay?" She wished she could've done a lot more.

The white haired looked at her, then – to both their surprise – nodded barely traceably.

With that she and Kabuto turned around and left the room.

The man didn't speak until the door was firmly closed. " You're too soft on them."

She shrugged. " Maybe so. But at least he's starting to trust me." With that she started to walk away. " Are you coming or not? I thought we had a lot to do."

After hesitating a second Kabuto did as ordered.

While they went she had to use her all to not turn and look towards the room locking Kimimaro in. For some reason she had a feeling that she'd visit there a lot in future…

* * *

Pretty late that evening Naruto was ready to bounce up and down out of sheer boredom and anxiety. He figured he had every right to feel that way after observing Kiba's playful and half hearted, pretty pathetic attempts to catch Sasuke's interest all day. (He wondered why he felt so troubled by his friend's harmless fooling around.)

All of a sudden he nearly fell down from the couch he was occupying when sounds of loud pops reached his ears. In an instant very unpleasant flashes filled his mind, and he shivered for a moment.

Kiba, who was stood in a kitchen, gave him a weird look. " Geez, Naruto! It's only microwave popcorn!"

Sasuke looked at him with furrowed eyebrows, and he had a nasty feeling that the woman could see straight into his thoughts. " Are you okay?"

" No", he scoffed, gesturing wildly with his hands and arms. " I'm… I'm losing my mind for being locked up in here, okay? I need to go out, before I'll go crazy!"

Kiba chuckled, managing to lighten the mood. " You mean, even crazier than you already are?"

He pouted at his best friend. " I'm serious! I swear I'll start climbing up the walls and stuff like that soon. You guys have seen 'The Exorcist', right?"

Sasuke seemed extremely irritated. " Naruto, _no_. The last time I took you out of this apartment you almost got yourself killed. I won't jeopardise my sanity any further than I have already."

He felt defeated for a moment, until a sly look appeared to his face. " Okay. So no going out. But… I can still ask a couple of friends to come over, right?"

Ah, Sasuke seemed to see right through his little game. She folded her arms while arching an eyebrow. "How many friends?"

Seeing her near-glare, he let his shoulders drop. If he'd been a little more childish he might've gone close to pouting. " Just five, okay? I've known all of them for a long time – they're trustworthy. So wipe off that look."

Sasuke all but stared at him for almost a full minute, until she finally nodded stiffly. " Fine. But on one condition – I'm also inviting someone. If there'll be so many people, I need backup to make sure things don't get out of hand."

He merely grinned. " Sure." At the moment, he would've promised pretty much anything for a chance to have some human contact.

Although a part of him celebrated his victory, the rest was slightly more hesitant.

Somehow, he was starting to have a very bad feeling about this…

* * *

One of the things Karin had never been blessed with was patience. That's why she all but seethed with fury while her newly assigned partner – a blonde named Deidara, who'd recently lost his former, long time partner Sasori – toyed with a spineless agent of ANBU named Morino Idate.

Deidara's knife traveled up and down the shivering, sweating man's throat while dangerous blue eyes kept the other's in a firm hold. " So… Are you gonna tell me that little pest's address? Because I know it's in ANBU's database although it's classified. I'd really, really hate having to look for it myself, un."

" I… I don't know a thing, I swear!" Idate squeaked in a voice that hurt her ears. " If… If I would I'd… I'd tell you, honestly!"

In the end she had enough of listening to the man, and threw a knife straight towards Deidara, narrowly missing the man. " Can't you see that he's useless? Just finish him off so we can get the hell out of here."

The blonde grinned. " We've still got time, right? I want to have some fun."

She rolled her eyes.

Just then her cell-phone started to ring. She arched an eyebrow at who it was. " What's up?"

" _I know the location._"

She listened for a couple of minutes for the instructions, then hung up. " Sorry, but it's go time. I just got the address. Apparently only you're allowed to show up – that little twit knows my face too well."

Deidara shrugged. " Oh well, maybe next time, un." Blue eyes met Idate's terrified ones. " Sorry, but it looks like I've gotta go earlier than I expected."

In a couple of minutes a scream could be heard.

* * *

After the so called party was about to start, Naruto found himself a lot more like a normal person. At very least he wasn't isolated from the world anymore. Although he wasn't allowed to tell his friends what was going on at least he got to see them.

Naruto was at the very edge of his balance while looking for some hopefully eatable potato chips from the kitchen's highest cupboard. That's why he was so focused on his job that Sasuke – who hadn't spoken for the past minute – managed to catch him off guard. " I still don't think this is a good idea."

He rolled his eyes, then turned abruptly. " We can trust my friends, okay? I…" It was then his balance chose that it wouldn't hold for another second.

Before Sasuke could even react he'd fallen on the woman, taking them both to the floor so that their lips nearly touched.

Kiba snorted while walking past them to open the door. " Now that's clichéd."

Sasuke gave him a very nasty look before pushing him away. " You are a freaking accident magnet", she scoffed.

He merely rolled his eyes while obeying, feeling how a blush kept deepening on his cheeks. " Oh shut it."

They just managed to get up before a very familiar voice appeared. " Now what the heck are my eyes seeing!" The sound was his co-worker's, Temari's. They turned around to see the woman stood behind them in what he knew to be her usual leather attire. She arched an eyebrow at Sasuke. " Ah, I see you have… a friend visiting."

He shrugged, coming close to snorting. " If that's what you want to call her."

Temari seemed to lose her interest towards his companion, most likely deciding to give him a third degree later. " So… Where have you been, anyway? Iruka's getting pretty annoyed."

He winced. True enough, his boss was a reasonable man, but with how many shifts he'd cancelled already he wouldn't have been surprised if he'd been fired straight away. " Let's just say that I've been a bit… busy."

Temari seemed somewhat confused by his cryptic answer. " Oh." She then noticed how Shikamaru, another coworker, entered, and grinned brightly. " I've gotta get going. See you around!"

Sasuke seemed to be about to say something, until her eyes darkened at the newest arrival. " Fashionably late as always…", the woman scoffed.

In a matter of seconds, before he could ask a thing, a man with bluish hair he didn't know was stood before them, measuring him up. " So, Sasuke… Aren't you going to introduce me?"

Sasuke frowned. " Where were you?"

The man winced. " Trust me, you don't want to know." The new arrival then looked towards him again. " Now, the introductions…"

Sasuke sighed, seeming extremely irritated. " Suigetsu, this is my newest pain in the ass, Naruto. Naruto, this is Suigetsu, my ex-husband."

Naruto almost choked on his breath, and coughed so loudly that everyone around them turned to look with suspicious glances.

_Ex… husband…?_

He stared at the young woman, who couldn't possibly be any older than he. " But… you're only…!"

Sasuke's eyebrow twitched. " Yes, I know."

Suigetsu shrugged. " We were eighteen and drunk. But oh well, it was fun while it lasted – most of the time, at least." Did the man just… pinch Sasuke's ass while looking at the woman with a mischievous grin? " Besides, we still have quite a bit of fun sometimes."

He shuddered, having a feeling that he did _not_ want to know more.

Sasuke, apparently, was desperate to switch topic. " There's something urgent I need to take care of." She glanced towards Naruto. " But I'm not sure if I dare to leave you alone for long enough

Suigetsu waved a hand. " I'm also in ANBU, remember? I think your… friend's pretty safe with me."

Sasuke seemed sceptical for a moment, then – apparently coming to a realization that she had no other choice – started to leave. " Fine. Just try not to rip each other apart – I'm not in the mood for a bloodbath tonight." With that she walked away.

He scoffed. " Has she always been that much of a sunshine?"

Suigetsu grinned. " Pretty much." The man's expression then grew a little bit more solemn. " You should give her some slack, though. She's had it a bit rough lately."

He arched an eyebrow. " What's that supposed to mean?"

Did Suigetsu just shudder? " Do you have any idea what she'd do to me if I'd tell you?"

Actually, he did. And that's why he didn't press any further.

" She likes you, you know?"

Suigetsu's words nearly made him choke on the air in his throat again. He laughed loudly once recovering. " And exactly what gives you such a impression?"

The man shrugged. " Let's just say that I know her pretty well. I know these things long before she does."

He snorted and rolled his eyes, but couldn't really chase away the warmth that appeared to his cheeks. " Yeah, right. I bet she's looking after me so she can kill me herself."

Suigetsu chuckled at that.

Not much later Sasuke reappeared, the look upon her face immediately warning him that he wouldn't like what was to come. " We need to talk." Black eyes seemed between annoyed and amused when flashing towards Suigetsu. " Anko needs you back in the base."

Something twinkled in Suigetsu's eyes while the man started to leave. " I'll better get going, then." There was a tiny wave of hand. " See you later."

Feeling somewhat confused, he responded to the hold when Sasuke wrapped a pair of arms around him and they started to pretend that they were dancing ­– only not to arouse suspicion while talking since everyone else was dancing as well, a part of his brain reminded him furiously.

His eyebrows furrowed with suspicion while they moved. " Why do I have a feeling that I'm not going to like this?"

" Listen to me carefully", Sasuke hissed into his ear, sending shivers he couldn't understand through him. They moved again, as though really dancing. " This… get together needs to end."

He fought the urge to pout. " Why?" He hadn't even had the time to talk to pretty much anyone!

The woman took a moment before answering. " They found another body – a agent. Some information may have leaked."

He shuddered, his head whirring ten thousand miles per hour.

In the end he snarled, rolling his eyes. " Fine. Just give me one more hour, will you? I'm not gonna see them pretty much at all for a long time."

Sasuke rolled her eyes skywards, muttering something that sounded like 'drama queen'. " Fine. One hour. But no more, got it?"

He nodded solemnly.

_So only one hour, huh?_

He was dead set to make the most of it.

* * *

Sakura wasn't having exactly the time of her life while sitting beside Sai in a tiny, stinking office.

Not only was it much later than she would've wanted and she'd been supposed to be home hours ago, but she also had to spend time with _him_.

_For Lee_, she reminded herself harshly. _You need to do this for Lee. I know you can._

" Sakura, are you listening to me?"

She shot an unnaturally sharp look towards Sai. " Yeah, yeah." She then glanced towards all the papers in front of them. " So, what's next?"

" That's what I was trying to tell you." The man pointed towards a file while taking one of his own. " You take Hoshigaki Kisame."

Feeling unpleasant chills at the man's tone, she outstretched a hand. It turned out that she was a little bit too tired. Her hand slipped, hitting a tiny vase. It dropped and broke to pieces, ripping a cut to her wrist.

She snarled loudly. " Damnit…"

Sai hesitated for a moment before moving. She shivered when he took her hand into his. " That doesn't look too bad." Still holding her wrist surprisingly tenderly, he fished a bandage from his bag that'd been thrown to a chair nearby. In a matter of seconds the wound was patched up. " There, done."

For the first time during that evening she felt like smiling. " Thanks." She gave him a look. " I would've never thought you to be the type that knows first aid."

Sai shrugged. " It seems to come in handy with a partner like you."

Had she not been so good at keeping herself in line, she might've said something she wouldn't have regretted, especially considering how edgy the late hour made her.

_That chauvinistic, inconsiderate…_

Sai, most likely sensing that now was the proper time leave, got up. " I'll go and get us some more coffee."

" You do that", she stated through her teeth.

Once he was gone and it became silent once more, she squeezed her eyes tightly shut. She felt like slamming her head against the table before her with exasperation.

Fate really had something huge against her.

She was almost startled when the dial tone of her cell-phone pierced the heavy silence that'd fallen. She gave a deep sigh when noticing who it was. " 'Tara, what are you still doing up?"

" _Baby'ter fell asleep, and I missed you._" There was a moment's silence. " _When r'u 'ming home?_"

She swallowed down another sigh. " As soon as I can, I promise." She had to wait for a while to make sure her voice wouldn't break. " Now to go sleep, okay? I'll be there in the morning."

" '_K._" The voice was much happier already. " _'Love you, mommy._"

She couldn't keep herself from smiling a bit. " 'Love you too. Goodnight."

As soon as she hung up she let out a deep breath, rubbing her temple.

When had things become this complicated?

She barely managed to chase away all the disturbing thoughts on time when hearing Sai's steps. She felt mildly alarmed by the look on his usually stoic face. " What's wrong?"

" Remember that one suspicious name we were supposed to take a look at – Namikaze Naruto?"

She nodded, feeling mildly irritated. " Of course. Why?"

" There'd clearly been a thick file, but now… It was gone." There was a small wrinkle on the man's forehead. " There wasn't a trace left of all the information."

A deep frown made its way to her face while she shivered, feeling extremely dark vibrations.

_What the hell is going on around here?_

* * *

Naruto and Sasuke were equally stunned and disturbed by the fact that they felt no particular desire to get away each other that night. For his part, Naruto blamed the affect of alcohol and company – so much fun he had amongst his friends and colleagues, that he lost track of time early on. During the past hour he'd also lost track on how many sharp shots he'd poured down while talking to his friends.

Had he been a bit more coherent, he might've noticed how dangerous Sasuke's expression turned when he stumbled to lean against the woman all of a sudden, almost falling down. He grinned at her sheepishly. " 'orry."

The raven's eyes squinted to slits. " Off, _now_", she barked out.

In a more sober state, he might've been embarrassed by how much fun his friends had while they watched the display.

Once more, he blamed all the drinks he'd taken for what he did next. Instead of letting go (which would've been the best thing to do, considering both his physical and mental health), he wrapped his arms around the Uchiha, almost leaning against her. " Nah, I want to dance."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes at this. " This is not going to be pretty…"

Gaara merely rolled his eyes with a solemn expression that also carried a hint of amusement. " It's like watching a train accident about to occur."

Sasuke took a step closer to Naruto, something that might've been called mischief on someone else's face in her eyes. " Dance, in your condition? Yeah, right…"

He wasn't sure if it was intentional or not, but the woman's one hand seemed to linger a bit too close to his behind while warm breath tingled his face, making him feel dizzy.

He snorted. " You'll pay for that one."

Naruto found himself grinning when Sasuke shuddered when his lips lingered right beside the woman's ear after a moment, forming soundless words.

That's what she got for being a tease.

He, however, should've never underestimated Sasuke. His heart thumped when the raven glanced up at him through eyelashes, one eyebrow arched. " So you want to play?"

And with those words as his only warning he was spinning, physically and mentally. His head spun while they sunk into a heated dance. His hands moved – seeming to be everywhere at once – and he was pretty sure that he moaned embarrassingly when Sasuke's disturbingly experienced fingers played with his hair, then moved to his neck.

He gulped thickly.

_Oh damn…_

In the background, Shikamaru burst into laughter. " Oh damn, he's a goner."

Had he been able to, he would've shot a dirty look towards his friend. " Oh shut it."

He gasped when he became pinned to a wall, with Sasuke's face only millimetres from his own. His heart, the entire club and time itself waited stock-still, anxious to know what was to happen. " Time's up", the Uchiha announced eventually, sounding mildly out of breath.

He groaned, boiling inside, and his eyes narrowed. " That… _That_ was low!"

" Hn." Did he just see amusement upon the woman's face? " For your information …" Onyx eyes seemed hazardous. " The next time you touch me like that I'll chop off your fingers, one by one." With that she turned around sharply. " Now, I have to go to the bathroom – stay within Suigetsu's eyesight in the meantime. I trust the apartment to be empty when I come back."

He watched her distancing back, muttering drunken insults and protests under his breath.

In less than a minute Temari and Shino had left with brief byes.

Shikamaru seemed to be almost chuckling while resting a hand to his shoulder. " All I can say, my friend… is congratulations."

He gave the brunet a dry look. " Hilarious."

Acting as though never having heard him, the man said his byes and left.

Soon after Gaara and Neji appeared to him, with the redhead's arms wrapped almost possessively around the brunet's waistline. Something he hadn't seen often lingered in the depths of the redhead's eyes. " I'm… sorry the party ended this soon. It would've been good to talk."

Despite the fact that his heart was jumping – in the aftermath of the dance, and with the realization that now, he'd have to go back to his dangerous new life, locked inside and hunted – he managed to grin. " Just go home already, you two." His eyes flashed in a knowing manner. " I bet you've got better things to do than watching me brooding around." Outside the house, Gaara was the only on to whom he'd told the truth of what was going on. They'd been friends for so long that hiding things was out of question.

" Hn."

" Take care of yourself, will you?" Neji said in his turn.

He nodded, still attempting to grin a bit. Just then a thought crossed his mind, and he looked around. Still not a trace of Sasuke, and Suigetsu seemed to be busy fighting with someone over the phone. A while back Kiba had gone to take Akamaru out. This was his last chance. " You know what? I'll walk you out." He'd less than a minute outside the house – how dangerous could that be? Besides he _needed_ this, for the sake of his sanity – he hadn't been allowed to leave the house pretty much at all since Sasuke's arrival!

They walked out in near silence, then said byes once more. Something ached a little inside him while he watched the two take off with Gaara's motorcycle.

He couldn't help wondering when he'd get to see those two again.

He was just about to go inside – wondering with some fear if Sasuke had noticed his absence already – when an unfamiliar man's voice made him freeze. " You sure were hard to find, un."

Very slowly, he turned around to meet a man with long, blond hair and piercing blue eyes. He gulped against his will. " What the hell…?!" Chills ran down his spine when cold blue eyes locked even more tightly with his. " What is it about?" he demanded, although he wasn't really in the position to ask for anything.

A toothy grin was aimed his way. " Why don't you come with me and find out, un." Something hard was pressed against his side, and it didn't take him long to figure out what it was. The eyes looking into his turned dangerous. " I insist."

Gulping thickly, he started to walk as the man did, casting a longing glance towards the building's main entrance while they approach a red car waiting nearby.

_Sasuke's gonna kill me for this_, he mused gloomily. _If this guy doesn't beat her to it, that is._

Most definitely noticing how stiff he went the man glanced towards him with what looked like mirth. " Don't worry – if my mission would be to kill you, you'd be dead already, un."

Had he been in a different state of mind, he might've snorted.

_How comforting…_

He took a quick look towards the blond. " Then what do you want from me?"

The man shrugged. " Information – and that disk you took."

He frowned, not quite catching on.

_A disc?_ Then, in flash, it all dawned on him – that agent he'd seen being murdered, he'd had a disc… _Oh, that one I took when…_ He then became confused, almost alarmed, once more. _But… How can he know about it? What the hell's going on around here?_

He opened his mouth to ask, but never got the chance to. For only a flash later they both tensed up when a long, extremely sharp knife was thrown straight towards them. It missed them with only an inch.

Looking up to a nearby roof, he met a young woman with long black hair and dark, flaming eyes. " Deidara, leave him alone", the woman snarled. " He's ours."

The blonde haired man, Deidara as he now knew, grinned yet again. " Kin", the man greeted. " I was wondering who Orochimaru would send to slow me down, un." The blonde then shrugged. " Sorry, but I got to him first. Finders keepers, un."

Without saying a word the woman jumped down with a back flip like one of those he'd seen in movies, and was stood right before them so fast that he could barely register it. Deidara, on the other hand, seemed very much prepared. He barely had the time to duck and scramble out of the way before the first hits were exchanged.

He'd never seen another fight like that. The two attacked each other like tornados, clearly having been trained for several years. Kicks and punches were exchanged in a dizzying speed.

In the end Deidara had the younger woman trapped firmly against a wall, one of his undoubtedly many knives placed to her throat. " Now, Barbie… Why don't you go back home and tell your boss that we found… other use for your little problem, un?"

As a response Kin threw one of her legs forward, managing to push the man enough out of balance to vigour away from his trap. Her eyes flamed while two blades fell to her hands from the sleeves of her long jacket. " I've never failed before", she announced. She threw the blades, which the man dodged narrowly. " And with the reward Orochimaru-sama has promised me, I'm not about to start now."

One more grin appeared to Deidara's face, making him seem… excited, almost. " So you want to play, un?" Steel flashed in moonlight. " Do go on."

That, Kin did.

Naruto knew escaping would've been the most sensible thing to do, but none of his muscles would move while he stood there, mesmerized by the sight before him.

So worked up by watching the two he was, that he didn't sense anyone approaching until a harsh hand was clasped against his mouth. He tried to yelp with startle, but barely any sound made it through his lips.

" Do you still feel like running away after this little lesson?" Sasuke's very familiar voice hissed all of a sudden.

After a moment he regained his composure. He shook his head like a five-year-old, feeling utterly humiliated.

" Good." Sasuke's voice carried something that told him the rest of the night would be far from pleasant. " Now let's get the hell out of here. We've got a lot to talk about."

He gave a look towards the two fighters who'd spot that something was going on at any given moment, and understood that he had no choice.

They disappeared like shadows.

* * *

It wasn't rare that Kakashi found himself overworking, but it wasn't often he would've stayed _this _late – almost until the next morning. What made it easier, however, was that he wasn't alone.

After watching Hayate visit downstairs – which was where Yuugao was working – to get something (from paper and pens to staplers) for about fifty times he decided that it was time to do something. As amusing as observing the dance was, he was getting a headache.

" You know what? It's time to bring an end to this farce", he announced.

The brunette coughed as though choking. " W – What?!"

" If you're not more interested than that, then I'm going." To emphasise his words he got up. " See? It isn't harder than this. I'm already going."

Hayate coughed again, giving a slightly nasty look towards him. " That's… very low of you." The man, however, got up and left, moves slow and reluctant.

He grinned just a little bit while watching the brunette's back distance. " Well finally."

Then giving a deep sigh, he made his way towards a break room, already dreaming of the insanely strong coffee he'd soon have.

He just managed to sit with a cup of coffee and important papers when his peace was disturbed. " Kakashi." The mere sound of Danzou's voice made him want to wince. Turning his head, he met a pair of sharp eyes. " I didn't expect to see anyone else working at this hour."

He took a tiny sip of coffee and refocused on his papers, never once leaving the older man completely out of his sight. " Hmm."

He shivered when feeling Danzou's eyes on him. Peering to side, he found the man sneaking a glance towards his papers. " Are those about the witnesses?"

He closed the file, giving a loud sign of mistrust. ' Do not pry' was one essential rule of ANBU – most of their cases were so highly classified that they couldn't have shared any information, and they needed to trust each other enough to stay out. Danzou was crossing a line, and he had a feeling he didn't even want to know why. " Yes", was all he gave in a slash like tone, then got up. " Sorry, but there's still a lot I need to take care of, so…"

Danzou nodded, following intently while he started to walk away. He'd almost made it out of the room until a tone he couldn't quite recognize snatched him. " You know, Kakashi… A good agent knows when they've faced a mission that can't be completed successfully. Some battle's aren't meant to be won."

Without saying a word he walked away. As soon as he was out of the room he found a deep frown appearing.

He'd always had good instincts – if he hadn't, he would've never survived this long. And right now every single cell in his being screamed that something was very, very wrong.

Hayate, who was just walking back from visiting Yuugao, cut his trail of thought. " Still nothing – she had a phone call. But at least I talked to her. Isn't that the key point?" The man then noticed his stiffness and seemed a bit worried. " What's wrong?"

His expression darkened. " I… don't know yet. But I have a feeling that it won't be pleasant."

* * *

Night was already over by the time Naruto and Sasuke were stood by an extremely poor shaped apartment the blond had never seen before. He frowned. " What is this place?"

Sasuke's expression wasn't a happy one. " A safe house – we can't go to your apartment until those two idiots have disappeared. We'll be spending the night here. I already reported Suigetsu, so ANBU should be taking are of things around your house."

Naruto's spirits definitely weren't as high as possible. He was tired, having a headache as hangover started to kick in, and scared beyond any belief by the close call he'd just had. This – spending a night in this dump – certainly didn't help matters.

" You've been quiet for a full minute", Sasuke pointed out, startling him out of badly jumbled thoughts. " That's a record."

He gave the other a moody look. " Shut it."

Sasuke seemed to hold back a sight. " Look… What you did today was extremely dangerous. I know I made the mistake of leaving you into someone's else's hands, but you could've had yourself killed."

He could actually feel tears nearly pooling. _Oh fuck…_ He was _not_ about to cry in front of her! " You think I don't know how much is at stake! I've been scared to death since I saw that agent get killed, and now…" He took a deep, sharp breath, gesturing wildly with his arms. " I'm already scared, so there's no point in accusing me!"

" Naruto." Sasuke's voice was so sharp that he just had to look at the woman. Her eyes were flashing with something that wasn't familiar to him. "My job is to keep you alive, whatever the cost, and that's what I intend to do." Did those onyx orbs just soften? " I'm not going to let you die, idiot."

Something inside him softened and melted. He didn't even notice that he took Sasuke's hand. (Nor did he notice that the raven squeezed back subconsciously.) Surprisingly enough a tiny smile appeared to his lips. " That's… That's good to hear", he murmured in an unexpectedly soft voice.

Neither of them knew what might've gotten started if they hadn't been interrupted. " Naruto-san, Naruto-san!" Turning his head with startle he found Konohamaru approaching.

He grinned brightly. " Hey, kiddo."

The boy panted heavily once stopping nearby. " G – Good, I… I thought I'd be… late."

He frowned. " Late for what?"

Managing to breathe somewhat properly, the boy held out a box for him. " I was told to give this to you in twenty-four hours."

He frowned with suspicion, but Sasuke beat him to speaking. " Give that thing to me, will you?"

While Sasuke started to work on the box, his attention returned to Konohamaru. " Who gave that to you, anyway?"

The boy shrugged. " This guy with grey hair and glasses. He seemed pretty nasty."

His face turned chalk white with realization the exact same second Sasuke all but roared while throwing the box away. " Get down, _now_!"

More out of instinct than anything else he and Konohamaru did as ordered. He was faintly aware of Sasuke dashing to his side until there was a bang so loud that his ears were blocked for a long moment. An energy field pushed him so roughly that he became slammed face down to the pavement.

Several minutes passed by before he was finally able to hear and move slightly. His head buzzed, unable to catch on properly.

Sasuke looked at him with darkened eyes. " Are you in one piece?"

He coughed heavily when smoke and dust filled his lungs. " Are… all your… missions like… this…?"

Sasuke shrugged, paying barely any attention to him while investigating their surroundings. " Only the easiest ones." Her black eyes were terrifyingly sharp when clashing with his. " _Now_ do you understand why I want you to be careful?"

He could only nod while staring at the destruction around them – damaged walls and badly charred pavement. He was shivering furiously and his heart thumping million times per hour. He leaned against Sasuke without noticing it.

So, these guys… were really ready to go this far to keep his mouth shut?

_I'm going to die, aren't I?_

_

* * *

_

_TBC, or…?_

_

* * *

_

1) I took the liberty to play around with Konohamaru's age a little. He's upset because I made him younger, but I hope you guys don't mind. (grins)

2) That's not as much of money as it sounds – it's only about 312.55 dollars.

* * *

A/N: (shudders) Chilly, huh?

Awkay, it's approaching midnight around here, and I've gotta wake up early tomorrow, so… (winces) I REALY should get going.

**PLEASE**, leave a review before you go! Awww, you want to – I can feel it. (coaxed you with some delicious, fresh baked muffins)

Until next time, folks! I hope that arrives soon – if you want this to continue, of course.

Be good!


	4. Shadows Arise

REWRITTEN

A/N: MAN has it taken time again! (winces) I'm terribly sorry! BUT, I've got one project finished right now, and it seems my schedule won't be quite as hectic for a while, so the updates MAY start to appear faster. (crosses fingers)

Firstly, of course… COLOSSAL thank yous for those fantastic reviews! (HUUUGS, and hands some of the bribe treats promised) You guys are unbelievable when it comes to keeping up one's inspiration to write, you know? THANK YOU!

Oukey doukey, because I've got this feeling in my spine that you're starting to get pretty anxious about getting to the chapter already… Let's go! I really, REALLY hope you'll find this a ride worth your while. (chews lower lip nervously)

* * *

/ _During his career as a crime scene investigator, Izumo Kamizukihad seen a huge number of things that'd followed him all the way to his darkest nightmares. What he saw that particular day when entering a deviously beautiful house, however, crossed all his darkest imaginations._

_Blood… It seemed to be everywhere, along with various pieces of several human bodies. Whoever had performed the slaughter in this house had obviously meant business._

_He took a deep breath, barely managing to speak. " So… What do we have?"_

_It told something about the severity of the situation that even his best friend, Kotetsu Hagane, seemed horrified while staring at one of the battered corpses, face chalk white. " At least five bodies – two female, three male." The man swallowed thickly, most likely to control nausea. " This… is the best conditioned one of them."_

_Not really wanting to, he turned his gaze, and quite soon wished he wouldn't have been on duty so he would've allowed to throw up._

_There, before him on the bathroom floor, lay a body that'd been beaten up and shot to the head so badly that there was no way to identify the victim. Looking up, he felt his eyes sting just a little when seeing bloodied scratch marks on the bathroom's tiny window._

_Gosh, he could almost hear the screams…!_

" Don't… you dare…!"

_He gasped, careful to make it silent._

What the hell happened here?!

" It's your child, goddamnit!"

_Although it was the last thing he wanted to do, he approached the body, then knelt down slowly. The stench of urine and vomit he met made him want to reel backwards._

_He coughed a bit before managing to pull out a tiny recorder and speak. " Victim number one, male." He gathered himself for a moment before looking at the corpse once more. " Multiple injuries, clear signs of severe abuse. Also a gunshot wound on head, caused by a weapon of big caliber." He sighed heavily, closing his eyes for a moment. " Judging by battle marks and the wounds… I'd say the victim was tortured for a long time before death."_

" Don't worry – this won't take long."

_It seemed to take forever before he'd finally processed the corpse and was allowed to get up. He waited for a moment before speaking. " So… Where's the next one?"_

" _Two bodies in the bedroom." Did Kotetsu's voice actually shudder? " I'm warning you, though. It's not a pretty sight."_

" Goodnight. I hope you'll have sweet dreams."

_He shuddered when turning away from the horrendous sight, feeling far more repulsed than would've been professional. He couldn't understand how he'd be able to face the rest._

_The voice of one of his colleagues barely reached him. " Guys, call an ambulance!" The tone was shocked, filled with disbelief. " We've got a living one here!"_ /

* * *

CHAPTER 4: Shadows Arise

* * *

/ **One And A Half Months Later.** / (1)

* * *

Sasuke gasped loudly, uncharacteristically, while her eyes flew open and she bolted into a sitting position. In an instant she'd pulled out a weapon and pointed it towards the weight she could feel on her legs and stomach.

After a couple of seconds she first blinked, then growled with annoyance when finding nothing more dangerous than Akamaru. " That damn moron…", she snarled while putting away her weapon once more. " He should be glad I didn't finish off his mutt when he lets it hassle around everywhere."

Akamaru tilted its head, seeming confused.

Relief, however, was the main emotion. So she was in the safe house to which even Kiba and Akamaru had moved to accompany her and Naruto about three weeks ago. Everything was all right.

" Stop pestering Akamaru." She couldn't deny being surprised by hearing Naruto's chiding voice. " He's done nothing to you, okay?"

She rolled her eyes while all but pushing Akamaru off of her and getting up. " Whatever." After thinking about it for a moment, she walked towards the kitchen where the blond was working on something. " I've never thought you to be the type that wakes up early."

The man shrugged. " I… had a weird dream, and couldn't go back to sleep. I thought I should do something useful."

It was around then she started to feel a sensation of dread. Feeling almost reluctant to do so she walked closer to the blonde to find something pitch-black on a frying pan. She wrinkled her nose and felt like wincing when a horrifying stench of something scorching finally met her nose. " You don't do this often, do you?"

The blond glared at her. " Do I look like I'd be interested to hear your opinion?"

She rolled her eyes once more and sighed. " Make room." She was much too aware of how they touched each other while she took over the kitchen, starting to prepare another set of breakfast. " You can either help me or get out of here."

Naruto muttered something under his breath, but joined in anyhow.

Only the two of them didn't notice how close to each other they were and how little words they needed while working together.

-

In a room not too far away, Kiba grinned while watching the two, and scratched Akamaru's head when the dog made its way to him. " Now look at that, boy", he whispered. " It looks like we finally have some progress."

Akamaru barked as an agreement.

* * *

Yes, TenTen hated her newest mission, especially that morning after having been attacked by a 'subject' she knew as Juugo when the man had had one of his episodes. But she also had to admit that there were some tiny, forbidden highlights…

Kimimaro frowned a bit when she entered the cell he was locked into, without a doubt noticing a patched up wound on her face, and the bandage covering her hand. " You've been harmed."

She smiled, enjoying the slight bit of closeness they'd managed to gain during the passed weeks although she shouldn't have. " It's nothing serious – just tiny scratches."

The man's green eyes darkened, turned incredibly sad and ashamed. " Was it… one of _us_?"

Hard as she tried, she couldn't bring herself to respond. In some other state of mind she might've noticed that her hand brushed his unnecessarily while she prepared to give him a yet another injection. " I'm sorry, but I need to give you this medication", she sighed, preparing a needle that seemed horrendously long.

" It's alright." The man's response, it seemed, shocked them both. He looked away. " It… doesn't hurt that much when you do it."

Once more she was unable to hide a trace of a smile. " That's good to hear."

She lingered behind once she was done, purposely doing everything as slowly as possible. She succeeded, and was there for Kimimaro when the effects of the injection started to kick in and the white haired winced with pain. It took a long time before the man finally relaxed as pain subsided.

In the end she couldn't keep herself from speaking although she knew he was sensitive to all sounds now. " Do you… ever wish to get away?" She looked around the depressing room. " To leave this?"

The look on Kimimaro's face was incredibly sad. " No." Gosh, the man was so sincere… Yet again he looked away. " Orochimaru-sama, he… he's given me _everything_ – food, shelter, strength, protection… It's because of him I'm alive." He cast his eyes downwards. " Besides… Where would I go? This is all I have."

She frowned, feeling sadness she shouldn't have experienced on duty. " You must have someone out there waiting for you."

Kimimaro didn't say a word. And before she could do so, either, there was loud bleeping that announced her time with him was up. She fought the urge to wince.

" I've… gotta go. But before that…" She could sense the confused look he gave her when she touched his hand while passing by. " And… Just so you know… You're not alone."

As soon as she was out of the laboratory she leaned against a wall and closed her eyes, gritting teeth.

She was dangerously close to crossing a strictly prohibited line. And she had a dark feeling it'd cost her dearly…

* * *

Later that day, Naruto was too happy about getting out of the house to wonder where they were going while he followed Sasuke into a building he'd never been in before. " I can't believe you actually took me out of the house!"

Sasuke didn't seem all that excited. " Neither can I. Now move it."

He rolled his eyes, only to discover that the gesture certainly didn't come from the bottom of his heart. (Not that he would've ever admitted it to his so-called bodyguard.)

Lately, he'd spent so much time with Sasuke that it was almost weird to even think about being without her. Besides, so long as he was finally out of the house, he didn't find her company entirely unbearable.

It was around then he started to realize where they were, and his eyes widened dramatically. He could just feel color disappear from his face. " Uh-huh…"

_A friggin' shooting range?!_

Was this seriously what Sasuke had been planning? A… shooting practise?

" This was Jiraiya's idea", the raven announced, her voice barely reaching him in his current condition. " He thought it'd be a good idea to teach you self protection. I tried to tell him this is a tragic mistake, but he never listens to me." He jumped backwards when a weapon was held out for him, along with earplugs.

Extremely dark memories surfaced immediately, making him shiver. Had his pride allowed such he would've sprinted off right there and then.

/ _" Don't hesitate to use this, brat. If you want to hang around us, you better make yourself useful."_ /

He could still remember those cold eyes…

" Naruto." Sasuke's eyes were sharp and demanding, almost suspicious. " Are you okay?"

Just like back then, his hand trembled pathetically while he took the weapon, his whole being so filled with reluctance that he started to feel sick. He licked his lips and forced his breathing to even out before allowing himself to speak. " Yeah…", he whispered. " I… I'm fine… Just… I don't like these things." _What a lousy understatement…_

Based on Sasuke's expression she wasn't buying his explanation, but apparently decided not to press further. When he appeared unable to move, she dragged him to one of the booths, then stood close to him – _very_ close. His shuddered a bit when he could actually feel the raven's warmth against him. (Based on how stiff she was, she wasn't sure about this, either.) The woman's hands started to lead his. " You're gonna have to remove the safety mechanism before you can shoot."

To his stun, his fingers remembered exactly what to do. Although his hands still trembled he worked fast, and in a matter of seconds a clicking sound announced that the weapon was fully prepared.

Sasuke's eyebrow was arched when she glanced at him. " You know… For someone who's never done this before, you're not half as bad as I expected."

He snorted, shuddering and feeling unnaturally hot with the raven this close to him. Little by little he started to forget his former terror. " Is that supposed to be a compliment?"

" Hn", the raven commented while he lifted the weapon.

The exact same second Sasuke fingertips brushed his hand to help him, he squeezed the trigger with a loud gasp, his eyes widening. The bang that came sounded uncomfortably loud even with the earplugs he was wearing.

His heart thumped – because of their close proximity or what he'd just done, he couldn't tell.

" Holy hell…", was all he managed to produce.

Sasuke seemed mildly annoyed when their gazes met. " You should've told me you've handled weapons before."

He scoffed, finding himself trembling. " 'You think I enjoy this?" Though in all honesty… He wasn't entirely sure if he did, in some twisted, masochistic level.

The raven snorted, and took a moment before speaking. " Are we going to keep on bickering, or do you want to try again?"

Had he been with anyone else than the Uchiha, he would've pleaded to get as far away from the building as possible. But at the moment… His blue eyes flashed. " Just give me a damn bullet and I'll wipe that look from your face."

This tiny, distant part of him couldn't stop wondering why he was so eager to prove himself to the raven.

* * *

A couple of hours later in ANBU's base building, Kakashi felt amused somewhat amused and guilty when watching Hayate approach Yuugao, who'd just returned from a yet another mission. At first everything seemed to be going exactly as planned – the man's steps didn't even weaver. But then…

He arched an eyebrow at the stormy look on his friend's face when the man returned. " What happened?"

" Absolutely nothing, that's what." The brunette coughed sharply. " She's… seeing someone." The man glared at him, which seemed almost comical, then coughed again. " I just… made a fool of myself."

He merely shrugged, feeling a twinge. " That's only a hindrance, you know? She's not married or anything."

Hayate blinked at him, then shook his head and coughed, seeming to be holding back a laugh. " You're… unbelievable."  
He almost grinned until an extremely dark sensation seeped trough his whole being, making him feel cold.

_Something's wrong…_

That thought could barely be finished before sounds – definitely those of gunshots – could be heard from what felt like everywhere in the building. In a flash most of the people around them started to move, while others still exchanged alarmed glances.

At that moment, Kakashi understood everything much too clearly. His eyes flashed while he balled his fists. " Hayate." His voice was tight, slashed like a whip of some sort. " Start out plan C, _now_. We're under attack."

The man nodded, then – without wasting time on questions – started to rush away.

He followed the brunette with his gaze for a while, then started to walk the other way as fast and silently as he possibly could. He prepared his weapon on the way, his head whirring with dozens of thoughts.

Soon, however, everything there'd been on his mind simply flew away when he came to the biggest lobby of the building. A lesser man might've vomited when facing the sight he did.

Right there before him lay the bodies of nine agents. Blood and pieces he didn't even want to identify seemed to be everywhere, and looks that could only be called those of horror were imprinted to most of the dead ones' faces.

He inhaled sharply through his mouth, not wanting to meet the stench that undoubtedly lingered.

_This… is a slaughterhouse…!_

Just then he shivered despite himself when hearing steps, along with a sound of steel. " Don't turn around, Kakashi."

For just a fragment his eyes widened as a chilling recognition sunk in. " What… the hell are you doing here?"

* * *

In the meantime Hayate rushed through the hallways of slightly lower levels of the building, his eyes scanning around, sharpened to their very extreme.

Unfortunately, however, no amount of observational skills could've spared him from what was to come.

He didn't gasp or make any sounds whatsoever, but stiffened completely and froze when seeing a very young woman with a strange haircut and eyeglasses. She arched an eyebrow once spotting him. " Ah, so one little piggy actually dared to show up." She lifted a knife. " That's too bad for you, really."

He swallowed, evaluating his options.

He could always fight, of course, but it wouldn't be of much use – if she really wanted him dead, she'd be able to finish him off in a heartbeat.

Fortunately the decision wasn't completely in his hands. Sharp gunshots echoed through the hallway, causing the woman that'd been threatening him to retreat. " 'Sorry, but it looks like I've gotta get going now. See you later." He wasn't sure if some bullets even hit the woman while she sprinted to a nearby window that'd been left open for some reason, and jumped.

Looking towards the end of the hallway, he blinked twice when seeing Yuugao. It took a moment before his voice worked. " Thanks."

She merely waved a hand, then dashed to the window the exact same moment he did. There wasn't a trace of the mysterious attacker down below.

He frowned. " This is bad."

Yuugao nodded solemnly with agreement. They stood in utter silence for a long moment until the woman moved. " We should get going." She spoke silently, tensely, apparently suspecting that there were ears listening. " I'm pretty sure this isn't over."

* * *

In the basement floor of the building Sakura and Sai were once again trying to go through their workload without ending up wanting to harm each other.

Lately their co-operation had become easier, though. It'd been bound to – after all, they'd been working together for two months already. Of course they still fought, quite hard at times, but there were also moments of peace during which they could easily imagine doing even more projects together.

Today, they didn't get such experiences. Though for once Sakura didn't blame it on Sai. She'd had the absolutely worst night and morning with her daughter Katara being sick with a stomach bug of some sort. Only her sense of duty had kept her from staying home. And now, to enthrone the fun, she was having a splitting headache.

" Sakura." Sai's voice snatched her from self pity filled thoughts. The man surprised her with seeming mildly concerned. " Are you alright? Because you've been staring at that page for ten minutes."

She blinked – the dryness of her eyes proving that he'd been right – then sighed. " I… will be." _Or so I hope._ She pushed herself up from her chair. " I'll go and get something to drink so I can take an aspirin, okay?"

Apparently fate decided not to leave her alone just yet. She'd just picked up her wallet when it fell, most of its contents spreading everywhere. She spat out a list of cusses.

In her current state she didn't manage to stop Sai before it was much too late. There was something unreadable in the man's eyes when he picked up a picture of a girl with long, pink hair and black eyes – it was Katara, at the age of two. He stared at the picture for a mighty while before managing to react. " Is… she yours?"

She nodded, finding herself smiling slightly. " Yeah." She took the picture away from him, not quite comfortable with him knowing this side of her just yet – and definitely not wanting to answer any questions about the girl's father. She mused for a couple of seconds. " Do you have any family?" The change she saw upon his face almost startled her. " Sai?" Had she gone too far, been too nosy?

Sai looked away sharply, his expression turning chillingly blank. " I'd… rather not talk about it."

For some reason she would've wanted to ask more, but became interrupted when realizing that something was badly wrong. The building was completely quiet.

Too quiet.

They looked at each other, eyes flashing.

" What the hell's going on?" Sakura all but hissed, her throat tight and voice shivering with anxiety. Her heart was thumping furiously.

Sai shook his head while preparing a weapon, eyes even darker than usually. " I suppose we'll have to go and find out."

* * *

Evening had already darkened that day when Sasuke stood on the balcony of Naruto's apartment, her vacant, narrowed eyes darted towards the city spreading below her.

_Seven months, huh?_

One of her hands brushed her flat stomach while the other squeezed the balcony's railing so hard that her knuckles turned white.

To her, it felt closer to seven decades.

" So here you are." Naruto's voice startled her a little, although she would've never admitted it. Peering over her shoulder she found the man approaching. " Some bodyguard you are, disappearing like this."

She couldn't resist a snort. " And you actually care?"

The blonde scoffed. " Don't think too highly of yourself. I just got sick of listening to Kiba snoring." He mused for a while before going on. " 'You okay? You seem a bit pale. I mean, paler than usual."

Her eyebrow was sent twitching, but for some reason she just couldn't find the energy producing an insult would've required. They lapsed into a surprisingly comfortable silence.

Naruto wrinkled his nose when watching her pull out a cigarette and start to smoke. " Are you trying to get yourself killed or something?"

She gave him a glare, although it came out rather mildly. " Since when has the condition of my lungs been any of your business?" She didn't realize that she actually put away the cigarette.

The man shrugged. " Since you became the one who's supposed to keep me alive." She blinked once when the blonde handed a steaming mug towards her all of a sudden. The man seemed to smother a chuckle when seeing her suspicious expression. " It's tea, not poison, so you can stop looking at me like that. I figured you might be feeling cold out here."

Gosh, how hard it was to hold back a smile. She took the offering, never noticing how her fingers brushed Naruto's as she did, and looked away while taking the first sip. She was surprised to discover that the drink was in fact very good. " Thanks."

" 'Thought I owe you that much. I mean…" Naruto scratched his head, seeming sheepish. " For you having saved my life, and stuff."

" Hn."

Something that felt almost like an aura of peace lingered around them from there while they admired the city sparkling below them, neither feeling cold anymore. Had they been paying more attention, they might've noticed that they were standing much closer to each other than would've been necessary, all but holding hands.

The silence lasted for so long that she shuddered slightly when Naruto spoke. " I've always loved this view", the blonde announced, his eyes still resting on the landscape below them. She was much too aware of the fact that his hand touched hers, though it was most likely accidental. " It's easy to just forget about everything here."

She glanced towards him briefly, feeling some envy. " I wish I'd be as lucky." She didn't realize she'd murmured it out loud until feeling the man's eyes on her. Her eyes narrowed.

_Damnit…_

" What do you want to forget, Sasuke?" Neither noticed that the man actually called her by her name.

She shook her head, eyes narrowing even further. Naruto wasn't her therapist, only a client – she wasn't about to flood all this crap on him.

Did he just sense a pout? " You don't trust me at all, do you?"

She growled. " You're my client. Try again when you've got a doctor's degree." Looking at the street below, she gave a small sigh when seeing a very familiar figure stood there, clearly waiting. " I've gotta go for a minute. Don't you dare disappear in the meantime, understood?" She gave her now empty mug back to the somewhat confused blonde. " Thanks, for the tea." With that she walked off.

In less than a minute she'd made it to the house's staircase. Sure enough Suigetsu was there waiting for her.

He grinned when seeing her. " So there you are. 'Bout time to show up – I was getting bored."

She folded her arms with suspicion she couldn't explain. " What are you doing here? You know well you're breaking all security protocols." _And how the heck did you find the address of this place?_

Suigetsu shrugged. " Yeah, I do." The man tilted his head a little with an arched eyebrow. " Since when have you cared about the rules, anyway?"

She fought the urge to smack him. " You never answered my question."

Eager arms wrapped around her waistline, making her shiver ever so slightly. " Would you believe that I missed you?"

She snorted as though having heard the best joke in a long time. " No."

" Teme, where did you…?" They both looked on as Naruto peered out of his apartment. Something that a sudden might've called jealousy flashed by the blonde's face when he saw them. " Oh… Sorry."

She growled faintly. " I'll be there in a second, okay?" As soon as the blonde had disappeared she looked back at Suigetsu, stepping out of the man's hold. " Now, I've got a job to do. So let's spare the… 'fun' for some other time." With that she turned around.

She was about to leave until the man's voice stopped her. " Sasuke… How much do you know about Naruto, anyway?"

She frowned, not turning around. " He's my client, and a pain in the ass." One of her eyebrows arched a little while some very dark ideas started to rise. " Is there… something I _should_ know?" She had a pretty good idea that she knew the answer already.

There was a moment's silence. " Just be careful, will you?" Distancing steps could be heard. " It's hard to know who you can trust these days."

" Hn."

It wasn't until the steps had disappeared completely did she dare to remove her hand from a fully prepared weapon. There was a deep frown on her face.

What the hell was going on?

* * *

Orochimaru's base building was just as dark and eerie as usual when TenTen sneaked through the hallways. It wasn't long before she distinguished Orochimaru and Kabuto's much too familiar voices.

" _So our contact managed to get the information?_" Orochimaru stated, sounding so pleased that it chilled her.

" _That's right. We have the address_", Kabuto confirmed. " _It's only a matter of time before we'll be able to make our move._"

" _Very good._" The older man apparently thought for a while. " _What about our little… problem?_"

" _Won't be a problem much longer. Kin is already on the move, and I'm fairly certain our… subjects can be sent to perform a little field test as well._"

TenTen shuddered, coming to a conclusion that she didn't need to hear anything more. Swallowing thickly, she placed one hand to her ear. " Danzou, can you hear me?" There was no response, and she scowled. " Danzou, answer me, damnit! This is an emergency."

There wasn't even the slightest sound. She produced a wide list of mental cusses while moving her hand away.

_So it's all up to me, huh?_

-

Inside the room, Kabuto was just leaving when his eyes met one of the screens that showed images security cameras were sending. A flash could be seen in black orbs while he observed TenTen removing a hand from her ear with an irritated expression.

" Is something wrong?" Orochimaru, who was stood before the room's window, inquired.

" I'll… tell you when I know." With that he started to walk away. " Goodnight, Orochimaru-sama."

As he'd expected, there was no response. He left the room.

While he walked through a hallway he pretended not seeing TenTen, who'd hidden herself quite well behind one turn.

It seemed there'd be interesting times ahead…

* * *

On a slightly darker side of Konoha, a huge, skyscraper sized building was almost completely dark while a tiny bird that'd in some unfortunate way ended up in there zoomed through the hallways with screeches of terror. In the end the animal found its way into a massive room that had the slightest bit of light on. It sat to a metallic bar nearby the room's roof, as though watching and waiting.

Soon a heavily pierced man with extremely chilling eyes – Pein, as his subordinates knew him, although it definitely wasn't his real name – walked into the room. " Good. It looks like we're all here."

Deidara leaned back in his chair, seeming impatient. " I was just… finishing a project, un. What's with the hassle?"

Hidan, who was leaning against a wall nearby, gave the blonde an infuriated look. " He'd probably tell you if you'd give him a chance to speak."

Surprisingly enough it was Karin who cut the fight before it got a chance to get any more annoying. She slammed a huge, thick file to a table placed precisely in the middle of the room. ' _Namikaze Naruto_', said a sticker glued on cardboard. " I got this." She grinned icily, revealing sharp teeth. " With causing a little bit of distraction, it was surprisingly easy to sneak into the mighty ANBU's base."

Deidara frowned with disapproval. " So you had fun without me, un? I feel insulted."

Karin rolled her eyes. " Stop being a brat. It was a three man project – you would've been in the way."

The blonde shrugged, still seeming irritated. " Whatever, un." He then looked towards their leader, eyes gleaming. " So… What does this mean? Are we ready to move?"

Pein shook his head. " No. If we want to get to this… Naruto before Orochimaru does, we'll need to come up with moves he wouldn't be able to execute."

Karin clicked. " We need an element of surprise, then."

The man nodded as a confirmation. " That's right."

" And we also need someone who can control Sasuke, knows her moves", a new voice spoke. A figure stepped out of the shadows, dark eyes filled with something unreadable. " I don't think anyone knows my sister better than I do."

Deidara grinned. " You Uchihas really are full of surprises, un." The blonde then folded his arms with anticipation. " So, when are we going to start rocking?"

Pein's eyes flashed in the light of an explosion on the other side of the city – exactly where ANBU's base was. " Now."

* * *

TBC, no?

* * *

1) That much time after the last chapter, not the flashback, of course. (grins)

* * *

A/N: (shudders) Eerie, neh?

So everyone wants our poor lil' blondie. (huggles the poor thing) Let's hope Sasuke's able to protect him from this one.

Egh, I've gotta get going now. I'm once more in a buss and there's pretty much nothing left of the battery of my laptop, so… (winces)

**PLEASE**, please do review – for the sake of soon appearing Christmas if nothing else. (glances with HUGE, irrisistable eyes) I may just have some holiday treats in store for you if you do… (winks)

'Til next time, everyone! I REEEEALLY hope you'll all join the ride then!

Take care! And in case I don't manage to update before that, happy, exciting holidays!


	5. Boom!

REWRITTEN

A/N: Gah, another inexcusably long gap of updates! (winces) 'Hope you'll pardon me – my head's been in about a million places lately. (sweatdrops)

Firstly, thank you SO MUCH for those heart warming reviews! (huggles, and offers Christmas treats) They seriously mean a lot to me, you know? THANK YOU!

Awkay, because I've already kept you hanging far longer than you'd deserve… Let's get rolling! (rubs hands together) I REALLY hope you'll find this chappy enjoyable!

* * *

/ _The emergency room of the hospital started to buzz frantically with life when a blood caked patient was brought in. _

_Tsunade – the most experienced doctor at hand who'd thought she'd seen everything imaginable – shuddered when seeing the exact severity of the damage. She had to use all her professionalism to be able to gather herself. " What do we have?"_

" _A male patient at the age of eighteen", one of the medics announced in a slightly shuddering voice. " Multiple wounds in chest- and stomach area, wounds on both sides of his mouth, several possible fractures, suspected internal bleeding and contusion in brain. There's also a gunshot wound on his side – we've already called the police."_

_She nodded, refocusing on the patient. She didn't bother asking how much blood had been lost – she could tell it was too much. " What's his name?"_

" _His document's say Naruto Namikaze."_

_She nodded, checking out the boy's pupils. She groaned a little when noticing that they were almost stiff, barely reacted to light. " Naruto, can you hear me?" As she'd expected, there was no reaction. Putting away the tiny flashlight she'd been using she looked around to notice that no one else was moving – every so called professional was staring at the poor blonde haired boy. She snarled out loud. " Damn it people, move it! We can't waste a second here!"_

_It took hours of work, but eventually the blonde's state was almost stable. No one, however, dared to speculate whether he'd live or not. With silent prayers from the staff he was taken into a room in the ICU._

_He slept two more weeks after being taken into that room._

-

_About five years later Dr. Yamato Araisho _(1) _looked up from the papers he'd been going through when a nurse called Rin emerged from that very same room. He felt a small slash when seeing the look on her face. " Has there been change?"_

_To his stun the woman nodded with an almost grave expression. " She… just woke up." There was a sigh. " She keeps asking about the…" She trailed off._

_He nodded, feeling exactly the way she looked. " I… think it's the best if I tell her. Thanks for the information."_

_As he went it took his all not to sigh._

_Damn it, how he hated delivering news like this…!_

_Once entering the room, he was mildly surprised to notice how well his patient – Sasuke Uchiha – looked, especially considering the state she'd been in. A lot of severe wounds still remained and she was unnaturally pale, but now that she was awake she didn't seem as fragile anymore. Unfortunately, however, he had a feeling the strength was only skin deep._

_He cleared his throat. " 'Morning. I'm Dr. Yamato Araisho. We were already getting worried." Meeting those demanding eyes, which as he knew were only asking one thing, he decided to just cut the chase. A deep sigh erupted through his lips while he sat to a chair placed beside her bed. " Sasuke, I… I'm so sorry." He figured it wasn't necessary to say more._

_Unlike most of his patients when hearing such news the raven didn't cry, didn't scream. Instead she merely nodded, then turned her gaze – which turned blank in an instant – away, bringing a hand that didn't tremble to her stomach._

_Yes, she didn't make a sound. But for just a flash he saw the look in her eyes, and at that moment he understood._

_He'd never seen a patient as broken._ /

* * *

CHAPTER 5: Boom!

* * *

" Hey, Sasuke, wake up!"

She bolted into a sitting position. Her fist moved in a reflex – and barely managed to stop a millimetre from Naruto's face.

She hissed, allowing the fist to fall although a part of her would've wanted to use it. " What the hell do you think you're doing?"

The blonde frowned a little. " You were having nightmares. Are you okay?"

She looked away sharply, feeling disgusted with herself. " Yes." It came automatically. " There's nothing to worry about."

Naruto's eyes were sharp, carried no signs of surrender. " Sasuke, you were crying. So whatever it was, it must've been pretty bad."

She kept looking away, her stinging eyes narrowing. " You shouldn't worry about it. It's none of your business, anyway."

She expected Naruto to scold, to leave. That's why she shuddered when feeling a hand grab hers instead. She looked to side with a frown, but the blond refused to meet her gaze.

She was confused, although she would've never admitted it. She wished she would've had the will to pull her hand away, to snarl an insult, but it felt like all strength had left her. So instead she closed her eyes, for just a moment sinking into a world inside her head.

/ _" Are you thinking about names already?"_

" _Call me a fool, but it felt like a nice idea. How does Kikyo sound?"_ /

She must've been drifting in her thoughts longer than she'd ever thought, because Naruto's voice managed to sneak up on her. " Hey, don't tell me you're falling asleep on me."

It wasn't until then she realized that she'd rested her head against the man's shoulder. Hard as she tried, she couldn't find the strength to move away. Her eyes slipped closed despite all her struggle. " Hmph."

(What she didn't know was that Naruto moved to take a better hold of her.)

Already as everything turned into a hue, a part of her suspected that she'd regret this dearly once she'd be more coherent.

* * *

Kakashi's head _hurt_ when consciousness started to rush in, so badly that it felt like someone had been drilling right through his skull.

He groaned uncomfortably loudly, bringing a hand to his eyes although they weren't even open. " Fucking… damn it…"

There was a small snort, in which he was almost sure he could hear relief. " Well don't you have a nice vocabulary when you wake up."

Very slowly, with far more effort than it should've required, he forced his eyelids to inch. He blinked somewhat sluggishly when meeting a cloud of pink, but eventually his eyes settled to a picture of Sakura's face. He frowned, gradually taking in how tattered the younger woman looked with a lot of dust, cuts, scrapes and bruises on her. " What…?" His voice was more of a gasp than anything else.

Sakura's face remained so solemn he felt chills. " There was an explosion after that attack. Apparently we're not as well protected as we've thought."  
His eyes widened ever so slightly and he emitted a tiny wheeze, feeling very cold. " Crap…", was all he managed to produce.

The woman gave a tiny, dark laughter. " That's right." Her green eyes then grew hard again. " Do you think you can stand?"

He nodded, bravely pushing himself into a sitting position although the world around him seemed to sway uncomfortably. " Yeah." With a little bit help from the pinkette he found himself standing – and gasped. " _This_ is bad."

The building around them… It seemed a huge part of it had been completely destroyed, reduced into pathetic ruins. Blood could be seen in far too many places to his liking, and the staff that could still move was busily going through the ruins, which suggested that even more damage might be revealed soon.

He swallowed somewhat thickly, his throat feeling impossibly dry. " How many did we lose?" His voice was slightly weaker than usually, but at least it worked.

Sakura looked down, bangs covering her eyes. " Fifteen. And the cleaning up isn't over yet."

He fought the urge to gasp. That was over one third of the entire staff.

" Hayate and Yuugao are going through the lower floors, Sai's somewhere nearby." Her eyes carried something dark. " Danzo's nowhere to be found."

He nodded, feeling the dark ideas he'd been having for a while grow stronger still. He then frowned again. " What did they want, anyway?"

" To immobilize us, I think, perhaps to find something. Or to slow us down so we wouldn't have time to notice something." She seemed to shudder. " One of them was spotted nearby The Silo. We can only guess what they wanted from there."

He nodded with constantly darkening eyes, not liking those words the slightest.

Just then Sai walked up to them, a gloomy expression on his dust- and cut covered face. " I don't know what those guys did while attacking, but none of our protection systems works. Someone's hacked into our system."

Kakashi could feel himself blanch.

Hacked… into their system? But why…?

_The addresses, Naruto's safe house…!_

He shivered. " Sakura, call Sasuke, right now and get there as fast as possible. She's going to need backup."

The pinkette nodded gravely, and with that the two younger adults started to sprint away.

He sighed and looked around the destruction, his eyes flashing.

He could only wonder just how messy things would get.

* * *

In all, utter honesty, Sasuke had never meant to fall asleep like that – it was the kind of unprofessional behavior she'd always detested. That's why she groaned rather loudly when waking up to feel still sleeping Naruto's warm arms wrapped around her.

_Shit…_

Sensing her movements the blonde stirred, then blinked sleepily. " What…?!"

Her eyes flashed while she distanced herself from the man, inwardly listing cusses. " Something that's _never_ going that happen again."

Naruto seemed amused as well as confused. " What's so bad about falling asleep?" The man looked at her for a little bit. " So, are you okay now?"

She rubbed her face with both hands, stubbornly trying to get over the fact that a part of her had been far from repulsed by the fact that she'd just slept in the blonde's arms. " Hn."

Fortunately the rather uncomfortable moment was cut by her cell phone's much too loud ring tone. She replied in a flash once recognizing Sakura's number. " What is it?"

" _Sasuke, listen to me carefully!_" Sakura sounded so anxious that she almost felt chills. " _There's been a attack – they know where Naruto lives now! We're on our way there, but you should…!_" Just then the phone call was cut short.

Once more she groaned.

_Oh crap…_

-

Naruto didn't have the slightest clue what was happening when Sasuke hung up with an expression that gave him chills. " What was that about?"

Sasuke didn't look at him. " Kiba's out on a date, right?"

He nodded, feeling heavy shudders of dread. " Yeah. Why?"

The woman nodded as well. " Good. That means he's safe." His heart jumped several extra times when the raven handed him a weapon all of a sudden. " Don't hesitate to use this, alright?"

He frowned, and against all reason put the gun away as though it'd burned his fingers. He was _not_ planning on touching it again. " What the hell is going on?!"

Before Sasuke could ever respond there was a sound of breaking glass. Obsidian eyes flashed while the woman all but jumped out of the bed, fully prepared. " Hide yourself, right now."

Despite the fact that panic made his heart beat way too fast he frowned, wanting to argue, but never got the chance to because Sasuke left the room.

Yes, of course he understood that it would've been reasonable to leave, to find himself a safe place until whatever was going on would be over. But he'd never been a reasonable person, and for some reason the thought of leaving Sasuke alone felt unbearable to him.

Carefully making sure he wouldn't be spotted he followed the raven's trails. The first thing he noticed when ending up nearby the living room was that the balcony's glass door had been broken. Then he spotted a woman at about his age with glasses and a strange haircut stood directly in front of Sasuke.

The stranger's eyes flashed. " Let's cut all the crap, okay?" First hits flew. " I know that witness is here. Just give him to me, and we don't have to go through all this."

Sasuke's right hook caught the attacker by surprise, almost managed to split the woman's lip. " I've never been sensible enough to do things the easy way."

The woman snarled, eyes narrowing, and wiped away the blood. " Well how about this. The bitch can bite back."

Sasuke emitted an odd sound. " Do you want to see how hard?"

Apparently the answer was 'yes', because before Naruto could even gasp the fight continued. Fists flew so fast that it was hard to tell to which woman they belonged, and sounds that made him feel sick to his stomach could be heard when kicks were exchanged. His heart hammered to a breaking point while he watched Sasuke endure several hits, although he couldn't understand why.

_Damn it…_

He was almost rushing over to the raven's aid when the fight gained a sudden ending. With a kick that seemed harsher than any hammer Sasuke threw the attacker a respectable distance away, and a groan could be heard when the woman hit the floor, hard. In a flash the Uchiha was kneeling by the woman so that one of the raven's knees was all but pressed against the enemy's throat along with a sharp knife.

Onyx eyes were so hazardous when looking into the other woman's that even Naruto felt chills. " Are you going to tell me who hired you, or do I have to dig the information out of you?"

The woman snorted. " Do you honestly think I'm stupid enough to give you anything that easily?"

So worked up by watching the scenario Naruto was, that he didn't hear the steps approaching until it was much too late.

He gasped faintly when a hard hand was clasped to his mouth, and cold steel was rested against his neck. " Shut up or this blade slips, got it?" a male voice snarled into his ear. The man then started to drag him towards where Sasuke and the other woman were. " Karin, what the hell are you doing? Let's go!"

Sasuke, of course, reacted fast – but not fast enough. Just as she turned her gaze the man holding Naruto kicked her head, so hard that a nauseating sound could be heard. The raven fell down and lay unmoving.

Naruto didn't understand where the terror that filled his chest came from. " Sasuke!" There was no reaction. Hard as he kicked and fought, the arms entrapping him didn't disappear. " Wake up, damn it!" _Please…_

" Relax", the man behind him ordered. " After a kick like that she'll stay down for a while."

He tried to hurt the man restraining him, but didn't succeed. " You asshole! How could you just…?!" The blade on his throat pressed tighter, forcing him into a fuming silence.

The other woman – Karin, as she'd been introduced – got up, dusting her clothes and wiping away blood. " Thanks, Zaku. Though I could've handled that on my own." She cast a scornful look towards Sasuke. " Damn, what an annoying bitch…!"  
There was a sound of annoyance. " Could we please get going now?"

Karin rolled her eyes.

And with that he found himself being dragged away – from his house, from safety, from Sasuke – without him being able to do a thing to stop it. He winced when glancing towards Sasuke for a final time, his eyes feeling oddly hot.

_I'm so sorry!_

-

About two minutes later they were stood outside in a surprisingly cold air.

Naruto struggled his hardest to come up with a way to fight back when Zaku moved so that he could finally see the man, brown hair billowing in a wind that'd appeared out of nowhere. The man seemed annoyed. " So, we've got the witness. Did you find the disk?"

Karin shook her head. " Nope. But I'm sure that little nuisance will talk about it happily after the handling my boss has in store for him." Her eyes then changed, became threatening. " Now… If you value your life, I suggest you to just leave the blonde to me and walk away during the next five seconds, before my associate arrives to complicate things for you."

" Associate?" The man frowned, seeming very suspicious, nearly cautious, all of a sudden. " Who are you working for, anyway?"

Karin shrugged. " Whoever pays me best." All of a sudden there was a sharp, star-shaped blade in her hand. In a blink it'd flown to the man's throat. " Right now it's _not_ Orochimaru."

Naruto felt his heart hammering and nausea appearing while he watched the man fall, then saw all the blood that appeared.

_That woman is insane!_

Just then approaching steps appeared, along with a voice that sounded chillingly familiar to him. " That was effective."

Karin made a 'hn'. " I hate doing it the messy way round." She then looked towards him. " Now… I think we've wasted enough time already."

He, however, found it almost impossible to focus on her, because as soon as he turned his head towards the newest arrival pretty much all his widened eyes could see was the man stood nearby. No matter how hard he wished otherwise the image remained. The same gray hair, the same dark eyes, the same expression…

He found himself trembling pitiably while old, extremely nasty memories flowed into his head. " H – Hidan?"

_How the hell is this possible?!_

Hidan grinned in a way he remembered much too well. " Long time no see, you little twit." The man measured him up with his gaze. " You've grown up."

At this point Karin started to leave. " I'm leaving you two to catch up. I'm expecting to get my payment in two days."

Left alone with the man Naruto would've wanted to step backwards, run to Sasuke, but found himself completely paralyzed.

Hidan seemed to enjoy the situation. The man started to approach him. " It was kind of insulting how you ran away back then."

Stunning even himself, he pulled out the weapon Sasuke had given him, pointing it towards the man's chest with badly trembling hands. " Stay t – the hell away from me!"  
Hidan snorted, but stopped anyhow. " Is that supposed to be threatening?" The gray haired folded his arms with a mocking expression. " You weren't much of a killer back then. I doubt you'd be any better now." The man's hands moved, without a doubt looking for a weapon of some sort. " Now let's have some fun."

At that moment, the decision as to what he should do wasn't in his hands. There was a loud bang that seemed to echo everywhere, and with a gasp of startle he accidentally pulled the trigger. Before the sound of a gunshot ever disappeared he saw not only one but two bullets hit the somewhat surprised looking Hidan – one sinking dangerously close to the man's throat, and the other slamming precisely between the man's eyes. He was fairly sure he screamed while watching the gray haired fall with a nauseating thud, blood appearing in a pool. The gun slipped from his quivering fingers while he stood completely frozen, feeling ready to vomit and roar until there'd be no air left but unable to do either.

_What… What the hell have I done?! __I… I wasn't…! __I told myself I'd never…!_

" Naruto." As though through a silencer of some sort Sasuke's voice snatched his attention. Blinking dubiously, he lifted his gaze slowly to see the woman approaching with a frown, holding a gun that'd obviously shot the second bullet. " Are you alright?"

For a long moment he couldn't speak, could barely think. In the end barely audible words left his throat. " You're… okay."

Sasuke scoffed. (In some other mental state he might've noticed the sound was much softer than it should've been.) " It takes a lot more than that to keep me down."

He nodded numbly, barely managing to hear those words. All his attention was locked on Hidan.

-

Sasuke wasn't sure if she felt worried or nauseated when Naruto threw up loudly.

_Perfect…_

Some alarm crossed her being when she noticed how pale the blonde was, how badly the man shivered and how glazed over those blue eyes were. " Naruto." She didn't manage to make much contact and hissed. " Damn it…"

" Sasuke!" Turning her head, she found Sakura and a man she suspected to be Sai approaching. Worry could be seen on her best friend's face. " Are you alright?"

She nodded, although her head hurt like hell from the kick it'd received. " They didn't manage to get their hands on the disk, or Naruto."

Sakura relaxed visibly. " Good", the woman all but breathed out. " I'm sorry we're late. We got stuck…"

She didn't hear the rest, because an all-consuming sensation of being observed filled her. It felt like someone's eyes had been boring straight into her soul.

" Sasuke?" She didn't look towards the direction of Sakura's voice. " What's wrong?"

She shook her head, her eyebrows furrowing. The feeling didn't disappear. " I… don't know." With that she started to walk away, grabbing Naruto's hand on the way to make the blonde move. " He's in a shock." _And I feel like my skull's been fractured._ " So let's just get going, okay?"

Sakura nodded slowly once following her. The four of them walked on in silence for a while. " Look, Sasuke… There's something pretty huge you should know", the pinkette spoke eventually.

-

None of them noticed a dark figure stood on the roof of a nearby block of flats.

Itachi's eyes carried no emotion while he lowered his weapon, then turned around and walked away.

* * *

The day passed had felt endless when Hayate all but swayed out of the partially destroyed building to catch some fresh air. He was stunned to find Yuugao there, smoking a cigarette deep in thought.

He might've chickened out and run away, but three sharp coughs that appeared made the decision for him. He'd never felt as awkward as he did when the woman looked at him. " Hey." Not knowing what else to do, he looked at her cigarette. " I didn't know you smoke."

She smiled a bit. " It's a bad stress habit I'm trying to get rid off." She sighed heavily, looking away once more. " Long day, huh?"

He could only nod while standing less than a metre away from her. " Yeah."

They remained in a surprisingly comfortable silence for a long time until Yuugao spoke all of a sudden. " You know… That guy I was seeing." She waited for a while. " I've done a lot of thinking today, and… Well, I just told him it's over."

He blinked, utterly confused. Why was she telling him this, unless…? But then again, they'd done quite a bit of talking lately – maybe she simply considered him a friend now. " That's…" He coughed. " I'm sorry."

To his surprise the woman smiled a bit when shaking her head. " Hmmh." For a moment she seemed like she would've wanted to say something, but in the end started to leave. " I'll see you later."

For the longest time he stared at the direction to which she'd disappeared, until he coughed hard, coming to a realization that there was no point in going inside just yet. His steps started to lead him to a tiny walk.

Had he been a little less worked up, he might've sensed threat before it was too late.

He froze completely when hearing a much too familiar voice coming from an alleyway not too far away. " _… wasn't supposed to get into a danger! That wasn't a part of our deal!_"  
There was a snort, followed by a voice he didn't recognize. " _A deal? By now you should've already learned that it's a sliding term._"

There were harsh sounds. " _Screw me around once more, and I'll show you how hard I can be to work with._" There was a moment of heated silence. " _I must confess, though… You were pretty effective today. I hope you got all the information I told you about. _"

" _We did. You'll receive the settled payment soon._"

Very slowly yet inevitably Hayate's head started to catch on, leaving him almost breathless.

So… There really was a traitor amongst them. Someone had betrayed ANBU, endangered everyone in the building, partially caused the deaths of fifteen people.

He was just about to rush away to share this new information when something sharp slammed to his neck, making him gasp. From the searing pain that followed he barely heard the approaching steps. " Gotcha."

Gritting his teeth he turned slowly to meet the traitor's face. Everything was already getting blurry, and he found it hard to stand. " I… should've known…"

There was a shrug he could just distinguish. " Everyone makes misjudgements sometimes."

The last thing he heard was a badly jumbled voice. " No hard feelings, yeah?" He slumped against something warm and soft. " Sweet dreams."

* * *

After having been waiting fruitlessly for what felt like a decade, Kiba decided that he wasn't about to make a fool of himself because of some woman.

Just as he rose from his seat to leave the restaurant, however, he grinned when spotting a familiar woman entering. He couldn't help noticing her outfit, or that eyeglasses had been switched to contact lenses. " Well you sure took your time."

Karin grinned slightly as well while taking a seat, and he was too oblivious to notice anything chilling in her expression. " Sorry about the wait – I was… busy with work." She grabbed a menu. " So, what's good in here?"

* * *

Later that day Kakashi rubbed his forehead with two fingers, utterly exhausted. He felt more tired than ever in his life, but refused to get rest just yet.

So tired he was, that he shuddered when his cell-phone – the number of which only few people had – started to ring. He sighed a little with relief when noticing who it was. " Are you two alright?"

" _Yes. With some cuts and bruises, though, and I think Naruto's still in a bit of shock. But we'll live._" Sasuke's voice sounded unusually tight. " _Sakura told me what happened. How much damage was done?_"

He shook his head, ignoring the fact that the woman couldn't see it. " It's hard to tell at this point." He grunted a little and rubbed his face, cursing the headache that escalated just then. " You know what this means, right?"

Sasuke made a 'hn'. " _Do you know who sold out the information?_"

Just then his gaze spotted Danzo, who seemed to be deep in thought. He watched as the man walked by. " I have a clue, but I still hope I'm wrong."

" _Hmm._" There was a snarl. " _I have to go now. Call me if anything happens._"

" Of course." He then frowned. " What are you doing, anyway?"

" _Taking my work home._" There was a sound he couldn't recognize. " _I'll call you later._" With that she hung up.

He stared at his phone for a while before shaking his head with a sigh.

_That woman is going to be the death of me._

" Was that Sasuke?" Suigetsu's voice nearly startled him. Looking up, he found the younger man stood rather nearby with a strange, almost worried expression. " Is she alright?"

He nodded. " Yes, though not very happy." He then frowned. " Where have you been?"

The man responded with showing him an impressively thick file. " Remember how paranoid Sarutobi was about everything? The explosion revealed a tiny storage room he'd ordered to be built – it seems that before this only two people knew about that place. It was full of copies of important documents." The man handed the file to him. " Including this."

His eyes immediately detected the name written on the file. _Namikaze Naruto_.

He arched an eyebrow. " Excellent job."

Suigetsu grinned toothily. " Thanks." The younger man then yawned and stretched. " Can I go now? I've been up forty hours straight already, and Ibiki and Genma are investigating the room."

He nodded. Although ANBU was in chaos, there was no point in torturing excellent employees. " Of course. See you tomorrow."

Suigetsu merely waved a hand as a response while going. As soon as the man was gone he focused on the file, and the about a ton of papers inside it.

After going through the papers for only a couple of minutes he took his phone with darkened eyes, then dialed numbers. It seemed to take forever before there was a response. " I'm sorry I'm calling this late, but this is urgent." He glanced gloomily towards the documents. " There's something we didn't know."

* * *

After hanging up Sasuke turned her gaze towards still rather confused looking Naruto, who was currently looking around her apartment.

Bringing him to her apartment that was barely big enough for even her was the about last thing she would've wanted to do, but it was also the only option. Her address couldn't be found anywhere – not even from ANBU's database – and she couldn't trust any safe houses, anyway. The blond would be safe there.

If she wouldn't kill him, that is.

Her heart shivered a little when she noticed that the blonde was looking at a picture of what her family had once been – two children and parents.

" You never told me you have a brother", the blonde remarked. " Where is he?"

She snorted. _So he's his own, nosy self again._ It took a mighty while before she managed to compose herself. " I take that as you're feeling better already." She observed him for a moment, noticing that self hatred hadn't left his eyes. " Are you okay?"

Naruto tried to fake a grin, but didn't really succeed. " Yeah. I mean, you were the one who got their head banged, not me." He started to make his way towards the small apartment's bathroom, steps uncharacteristically hesitant. " I just need a long, hot shower, that's all. Then I'll call Kiba before he freaks out when finding the messed up apartment."

She nodded, far from convinced by his response. " Hn."

Just before disappearing into the bathroom Naruto turned to look at her once more. This time she could tell that the tiny smile on his face was a genuine one. " Oh, and… thanks." The blonde gestured towards the apartment. " For this, and everything."

She growled. " Just go, will you?"

The man rolled his eyes before disappearing, steps already a lot lighter.

As soon as she heard the shower, she sighed heavily and rubbed her head, the headache left by the kick she'd gotten still lingering. As her eyes slipped closed she knew one thing for sure.

This mission was going to become very uncomfortable.

* * *

That night, it was unusually cold in Orochimaru's base as five people gathered into the man's office.

TenTen felt repulsed when seeing how Orochimaru eyed Kimimaro and Juugo, who were stood quite nearby with terrifyingly blank expressions. " You two are my most promising subjects at the moment. That's why I have a little… mission for you, if you wish to accept it."

" What kind of a mission would it be?" Juugo inquired.

Orochimaru's eyes flashed when turning towards Kabuto. " Would you…?"

Kabuto nodded, stepping forth. " You need to find a man named Naruto Uzumaki", the younger man announced. " He's a very important witness, and he also stole something very important to us. Take care of his bodyguard, and bring Naruto here – alive."

" Thank you. Now…" Orochimaru's eyes were filled with a chilling gleam when turning towards the two men, 'subjects'. " Do you accept this little mission – as your field test?"

TenTen felt her heart hammer just a little bit while she waited for the response. If Kimimaro would accept this mission, to go out for a hunt… they'd be official enemies. She'd have to let go of all the little hope she'd had.

For the longest time the two younger men looked at Orochimaru, until Juugo nodded. " Yes, I accept."

She was fairly sure her heart broke when Kimimaro nodded as well, green eyes fixed firmly towards Orochimaru. " I accept, too."

At that moment she realized with sickening certainty that it was really over. It took her all to control emotions.

" TenTen." Orochimaru's voice echoed inside her jumbled head. She barely managed to meet his gaze. " Take care of all the required arrangements."

She nodded, feeling hollow. " Of course." With that she left the room, unable to look towards Kimimaro.

* * *

TBC, or…?

* * *

1) This is a made up surname. If ya know there's an official one, let me know, yeah?

* * *

A/N: So now poor Naruto's forced to move, and ANBU's been attacked. But Orochimaru isn't giving up… (shudders)

I'm (AGAIN…) in a HUGE hurry right now, so I've gotta get running. **PLEASE**, do leave a review before you hop away as well! (glances hopefully) After all, it's Christmas time, and I've got a lot of special treats for nice people… (grins cheekily)

Until next time, folks – 'hope you'll all join in then as well!

And, since this is the last update I'll manage to do before Christmas, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!


	6. Jump To The Unknown

REWRITTEN

A/N: ARGH – another huge gap of updates! (winces) But at very least I'm now back with another chappy. (wipes sweat from forehead)

First things first – awww! Thank you so much for those pretty amazing reviews you've sent! (hugs TIGHTLY once more) It's thanks to you this fic keeps kicking forth, you know? So THANK YOU!

Awkay, let's cut the sappy stuff and move on, un! I really hope this chappy didn't turn out sucky. (gulps nervously)

* * *

Naruto and Sasuke didn't remember that before the day they were officially introduced they'd already met three times.

* * *

/ _Seven-years-old Sasuke's head was a wild mess while she was lowered to something, which brought surges of pain to her body, and she screamed of agony. Jumbled, distant voices barely carried through haze. She wished she would've been able to open her eyes._

" _Holy shit…!" Someone sounded to be gasping. " What the…?"_

" _I found her from the stairs. She's got several wounds and a couple of broken bones, I think. And there's a bleeding tattoo on her shoulder."_

_She screamed again when the tattoo was poked, as loudly as humanly possible, clutching to her shoulder as though her very life had depended on it. The skin and flesh under her fingers was burning, or at least that's what it felt like to her._

" _What the hell did they do to this kid?!"_

_Those voices hurt her, but hard as she tried she didn't have the strength or will to tell them to go away. All that fit into her head at the moment was the pain._

" _We have to take her to a hospital. Kid, can you hear me? Kid?"_

_No, she didn't hear. She didn't hear anything anymore._

_-_

_Naruto had always been a deep sleeper. That's why it surprised him a bit that he woke up in the middle of the night. Then sounds of feral screams carried into his ears, and his eyes flew wide._

_When he sauntered out of his room in the orphanage, his heart hammering in his throat, he blinked a bit when seeing the leader of the orphanage – Iruka – walking through the hallway. Pretty soon his eyes strayed to the dark bungle the man was carrying. _A… girl?_ " What…?"_

_Iruka gave a deep sigh. " Go back to sleep, Naruto. I'll be back soon." His voice was softened by fatigue. (Against that promise the man didn't return. His battered corpse was found five days later.)_

_He frowned, not really wanting to go to bed, and followed the girl with his gaze until she was gone._

_He didn't get any sleep that night, although he couldn't understand why._ /

* * *

/ _The first time Naruto got drunk – encouraged by his new 'friends' – was when he was thirteen (although everyone around him thought he was sixteen or seventeen). That night he'd gotten dragged into a party his 'friends' had described as important. While the others disappeared to make some business deals he was left alone nearby the dance floor. And that was when he met Sasuke for the second time._

_He wondered why the girl, who seemed half over her age to a sudden eye, looked so familiar when their gazes met briefly. Whether it was because of his drunken state or some other reason he started to approach her, as though having been called._

_Because of the glare she gave him and his state it took a mighty while until he managed to rather slur than speak. " What… are you doing here?"_

_She glared once more, then focused on the glass in her hand and gulped it empty. " Wasting my time – not that it'd be any of your business." A pair of dark pools clashed with his. " You?"_

_He chuckled, which sounded weird in his current condition. " I have no clue."_

_He was just about to step even closer to her – relying more on instinct than anything else – when two voices interrupted them. " Sasuke-kun." The voice, albeit smooth, sounded dangerous. Snake's eyes glanced hazardously at him. " Let's go."_

_Faster than he could think he'd been ripped away from Sasuke. " Let's get going, brat." Hidan's voice carried tension he failed to notice at the time. " Before you'll get into even more trouble."_

_Had he been a little less focused on Sasuke, he might've noticed the vehemence lingering between the two parties._

_When he threw up gloriously the next morning he couldn't remember a thing about the night before (and neither could Sasuke)._ /

* * *

/ _Eighteen-years-old Naruto had never particularly enjoyed parties, and this one was even worse than the average._

" _Remember to pay attention, brat." He didn't feel like turning his eyes to look at his new 'partner'. " Even the slightest slip may be the death of you."_

_His eyes narrowed ever so slightly before he rolled them while he took a sip of the drink in his hand. He shivered at the raw taste of alcohol. " Hmph."_

_Just then a doorbell rang. Turning his gaze, he saw a woman who'd briefly introduced herself as Konan walk up to open. He blinked twice when the door opened, revealing a man with strange, bluish hair, pale eyes and an infuriating smirk. His eyes, however, locked to the man's companion, a young woman with harshly shortcut, black hair and just as dark eyes. Some words he couldn't make out were muttered before the trio started to move. For just a moment his eyes met the woman's onyx ones, which seemed chillingly knowing when searching through his. Then they both looked away and the trio kept walking on, as though nothing had ever happened. (In a matter of days they'd forgotten about each other for several reasons.)_

" _Brat, are you coming? We don't have all day."_

_He rolled his eyes again._

_One can only wonder if he would've looked over his shoulder had he known about the events that'd take place during the next two hours._ /

* * *

CHAPTER 6: Jump To The Unknown

* * *

It was ever so often Sasuke woke up to her own rather embarrassing yelp of fright, with cold sweat on her forehead. Usually it didn't matter to her all that much, but that evening Naruto happened to be sitting right beside her on her couch.

Blue eyes carried a hint of worry when looking at her. " Geez, Sasuke! Are you okay?"

Slowly becoming aware of the situation, she felt a set of shivers. It wasn't enough that Naruto had seen her like this – her hand was also holding his (or perhaps it was the other way round), squeezing so tightly that it must've hurt the man.

She let go abruptly and pushed herself up faster than her head would've liked, shooting inward cusses at herself. " I just need a glass of water." There seemed to be something melon sized in her throat, and she needed to get rid of it before it would've suffocated her.

Making her way to the kitchen, she leaned against a sink and gave a loud sigh, closing her eyes. This place was familiar, in here she had no distractions or bad memories. She didn't have to control herself all the time.

So deep in those calming thoughts she was, that she shivered when something cold brushed her hand. Her eyes flew open to meet Naruto's, then lowered to see that the man was poking her hand with a glass of cold water. " 'Figured you needed this." Seeing her look, the man shrugged. " I also know something about nightmares."

Giving an " Hmm", which was the clearest sign of gratefulness she managed, she took a cautious sip of the drink, frowning at its taste.

_Is that idiot trying to poison me?_

As though reading her mind, Naruto emitted something that sounded like a chuckle. " It's just herbs. A… friend of mine taught that mixture to me – it always calms me down."

Sasuke was forced to admit that he was right; already after the first sips her muscles had lost a great deal of their tension.

They stood in silence for quite a while, both drifting in their thoughts.

-

For some reason he couldn't quite understand Naruto found his eyes locking to a scar on Sasuke's cheek he hadn't noticed before. It seemed rather deep now that he looked at it, and he was fairly sure an uneven blade of some sort had caused it.

Sasuke, of course, noticed he was looking and all but glared at him. " Quit that staring."

Barely even registering those words he frowned, unable to keep himself from asking. " How did you get that? On a mission?"

Sasuke's eyes flashed in such a way that for a moment he feared for his life, then gained a silent smoulder. She didn't look at him. " I don't think that's any of your business." With that she left – or attempted to. For apparently he'd stepped a little bit too close at some point, causing their feet to tangle. While trying to go in a hurry Sasuke lost her balance, starting to fall. He caught her just before her head would've met the hard sink, and their eyes clashed together.

It was around then he became much too aware of two very unnerving facts.

First of all, his lips were only a couple of millimetres from Sasuke's. And unlike he would've expected he liked it in some twisted way. Without him having the ability to control it his hand moved to pull her closer, closer…

And that was when Sasuke hit the brakes.

He could only blink with confusion when she straightened her form all of a sudden – almost making him fall down – then started to make her way towards the apartment's door. She was so quick that he didn't have the time to see her eyes.

His eyebrows furrowed. " Where are you going?" He didn't want her to go, to leave things unfinished like this.

The door was already closing when she spoke. " I'll be back in a minute. Stay out of trouble in the meantime", she responded in a choked hiss. The door banged as her judgement.

* * *

In the meantime Kiba, who'd moved back into he and Naruto's apartment as soon as the blond had moved out, had a dark feeling that he'd missed something while he searched for something he'd be able to pour vine into without having to feel ashamed. He'd had that feeling all day, and it was driving him insane.

He shivered when feeling a hand in his hair. " Hey, time to wake up", Karin all but purred in a voice that didn't fit into her mouth. " You've been zoning out all day. Weren't we supposed to talk?"

He opened his mouth, but just then the glass he'd found a second earlier slipped and broke, on its way down cutting a wound to his finger. He hissed rather loudly. " Damn it…"

There was something that made him feel utterly cold in Karin's eyes when she looked at the blood escaping for a moment. Then her expression returned to normal and she moved, as though nothing had happened. " I'll go and get some bandages – they're in my bag."

He nodded, almost fully focused on the wound. As she left he started to clean away the blood.

While operating he listened to the woman's steps, found himself counting them – because of Naruto's tendency of having nightmares and sleepwalking he'd learned to do that since they'd ended up sharing an apartment. He felt chills upon discovering that there were several of them too many.

Karin had _not_ gone to his room.

He spun around without thinking and was stood by the door of Naruto's room in seconds. His heart shuddered and his eyebrows furrowed yet again when he found Karin searching through the room. He'd never been praised for being too intelligent, but he wasn't a total moron, either. " Hey… What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Karin's expression didn't even weaver as she turned around. " Searching." Her eyes looked directly to his, not showing the slightest sign that his shock and rage would've affected her in any way whatsoever. " It seems you're smarter than I assumed. That's a problem."

He snarled, revealing his teeth. " I'm not going to let you get anywhere near Naruto."

His snarl, apparently, aroused Akamaru's worry. The dog barked in the bathroom to which it'd been locked after Karin's arrival – because she was allergic, or so she'd claimed.

Karin approached without any visible fear, one eyebrow arched with amusement. " And… Who's going to stop me – you?" Before he could do a thing to protect himself he'd been flung against a nearby wall. He would've screamed if he'd been able to as his leg made a sickening sound when twisting into an unnatural angle, and mind numbing pain surged through his being. The woman's expression still didn't weaver while she watched him fall with hungry gasps as all air was struck out of his lungs. " As much fun as we had, you're being a nuisance. So get out of my way."

He couldn't even blink before a harsh kick met his head.

After that he knew nothing.

* * *

Slowly yet surely the destruction done to ANBU's base started to clear out. It was time to assess the damage done.

Far more lost lives than the organization would've been ready to endure… A lot of destroyed rooms, damaged as well as stolen equipment and valuable information…

Kakashi rubbed his face with an exhausted groan, almost completely drained by a massive lack of sleep.

Now that almost all questions had found their answers only one remained. Why?

The Akatsuki had barely been known by ANBU before this, and now they made an attack of this magnitude. Why did they get so careless?

Flipping through manual- and computer files, he came up with several possibilities. Information was a very likely possibility – a lot of files and documents had been discovered stolen, and according to those few tapes of security cameras that'd been spared several agents had been interrogated before they'd been killed. Immobilization had also without a doubt been a reason – he doubted it would've been an accident that Naruto had been attacked almost straight after ANBU. It also seemed the Akatsuki was looking for a disk of some sort – that was one of the most common questions made to those agents who'd been kept alive long enough to answer.

Kakashi frowned.

Those didn't cover all, his instincts stated. There must've been…

Then, as he opened a one more file, his heart nearly stopped as he came up with a new, terrifying reason.

Experienced as he was when it came to hiding emotions, Kakashi's eyes widened when information started to sink in. " Oh… shit…"

Sakura, who'd been working on a computer next to his, looked at him with a frown, knowing well that her boss didn't get worked up over nothing. " What is it?"

It took a moment before he managed to speak. " The Akatsuki… didn't only get Naruto's address, Sakura." He swallowed thickly, staring at the screen. " As we discovered they hacked into our system during the confusion. They… got _everything_ – the name and address of every single one of our agents, information of all those people we've been trying to protect…"

The sound of Sakura's mug falling and breaking was uncomfortably loud, as was her choked gasp. Without a doubt she came to think of her daughter. " No…!"

He couldn't move his eyes from the computer screen even as he heard the steps of the pinkette and Sai running away. All warmth and strength disappeared from him, leaving him limp and hollow.

All the work they'd done, every single one of their own and those people who'd trusted their lives into ANBU's hands… The rope of protection had been snapped cut, with just one attack.

This… wasn't just a bad thing.

This was the first bitter taste of doom.

He should've known to expect that things would only get worse. That's why it surprised him a little that he felt chills once Yuugao walked up to him, her expression darker than he remembered ever seeing it.

His features formed a deep frown. " What's wrong?"

She swallowed. " Hayate's been missing for at least three hours already."

He frowned lightly, feeling unbearably cold. " Keep trying to contact him. Maybe he's… held up by something." Although a much too reasonable part of him reminded rather harshly that Hayate wasn't the type that pulled disappearance stunts.

Yuugao nodded, driven by desperate hope, then turned around and left.

He groaned and rubbed his face with both hands.

So things were going from bad to worse. How nice…

He shivered a little when TenTen's voice came from a device placed nearby his right ear. " _Kakashi._" She sounded almost anxious. " _I can't get a hold of Danzo, so I'm warning you instead. Naruto and Sasuke may be in a huge trouble soon. I think you should go over and make sure they're alright._"

He nodded stiffly. " I will. Thank you."

His eyes darkened as he went, trying to calm his chest. Maybe this was a false alarm, but he wanted to go over and make sure himself. Besides, he needed to have a little talk with Naruto…

* * *

About twenty minutes after getting to the roof of her homebuilding Sasuke breathed in deeply, letting fresh air fill her tight lungs. Her breath wheezed a bit with anger directed towards herself.

Being around Naruto was getting increasingly infuriating.

" Now what the heck did he do to get you that riled up?"

Hearing the familiar voice, she shivered a little when turning to meet Suigetsu's face. She frowned a little. " What are you doing here?"

He shrugged. " Kakashi assigned one guard to be here for your help, remember? It's my shift." The man folded his arms with an expression she couldn't read. " You never answered my question."

Her eyebrows furrowed just as her jaw tightened. It took a while before she spoke. " He's just being a pain in the ass."

" I see." The man mused for a moment. " You know… You seem to let him pretty deep under your skin. Do you think you could be able to trust him? Tell him about… everything?" _About the baby?_

Suigetsu's words, including the unvoiced ones, caught her by surprise. Her eyes narrowed against a cool breeze. " I… don't know." _And it's none of your business, anyway._ She then groaned rather loudly, massaging her temple with two fingers. " You're giving me a headache."

The man chuckled in his own, strange way. " I've always been pretty good at that, I guess."

" Hn." She shivered when the man touched a much too tender spot on her. " Didn't we make a deal to quit that until the mission's over?"

The other shrugged. " It's always worth taking a shot."

She rolled her eyes, then shivered again when sensing something extremely bad and cold.

Suigetsu noticed this and frowned. She was almost sure his hand twitched a little bit, as though wanting to touch her again. " What's wrong?"

She shook her head, turning around. " I better go inside before that idiot gets himself into even more mess."

* * *

In Sasuke's apartment Naruto hesitated for the longest time before approaching the door when there was a loud knock. Through door eye he discovered Kakashi, whom he'd met once when the man had come to talk to Sasuke.

He blinked twice while opening the door. " What… are you doing here?" Because he was pretty sure this wasn't just a social call.

" There's… something important I think we should talk about." The man's eyes flashed a little. " Naruto, I _know_. And I think Sasuke should as well."

His face fell chalk white, and he staggered a couple of steps backwards.

_Oh… shit!_

It was all over. The life he'd built in Tokyo, everything.

" I…" He licked his lips, feeling out of words. " It's…" He couldn't get anything coherent out.

Kakashi's expression softened slightly. " Naruto, it's alright. You were young, and pressured to do things. Which is why I think you should tell Sasuke – for the sake of both your safety."

He cast his gaze downwards, feeling sick to his stomach and ashamed of himself. " Do you… Do you think she'd ever really understand – after everything I did?"

" We've all made mistakes." Kakashi's voice was darker than before. " Your sins aren't any worse than the rest of ours."

Sasuke's voice made both of them shiver. " What sins?"

Fortunately Kakashi was a much better actor than Naruto. The man waved a hand dismissively, a rather unreadable look upon his face. " Nothing that'd be of any importance."

Sasuke's eyebrow remained arched. She, however, never got the chance to ask more before there was a rather frantic knock on the door of the apartment. Sasuke and Kakashi exchanged extremely solemn nods before both pulled out their weapons and the raven walked up to open. The weapons were lowered but alarmed expressions remained when the extremely tense face of Suigetsu became revealed. " We've…", the man panted. " … gotta get out of here… okay? Things… are not going to be pretty."

Naruto's heart jumped to his throat when he remembered some of the past weeks' very unpleasant events, and based on the agent trio's expressions calculated that this would be even messier.

" Kakashi." Sasuke's voice made him jump. The woman had once more prepared her weapon. " I think you should get Naruto out of here while Suigetsu and I try to hold back whatever the heck there's coming."

Kakashi nodded, although it was extremely clear the man did _not_ like the idea. There was, however, no other option, so the gray haired nodded stiffly. And just then things started to storm forth.

They'd barely made it to the hallway when they faced two people who definitely didn't seem friendly – a man who'd practically covered his head with bandages, and a man Naruto distantly remembered as Deidara.

Deidara grinned toothily, lifting his weapon. " Well hello there. Long time no see."

The second first bullets were fired a part of Naruto's brain shut down.

* * *

Outside the building two guards Kakashi had left to keep watch were getting bored out their minds while waiting for the man.

" How long is this gonna take?"

There was a snort. " What are _you_ complaining for? I'm supposed to have a date tonight."

Just then they both stiffened completely when hearing approaching steps. Faster than they could turn their heads a rather young man with long, white hair and somewhat scared green eyes was stood before them.

" What the…?!"

Apart from slashing sounds, which were followed by somewhat wet sounds, those were the last noises heard in the alleyway.

* * *

Sakura was almost sure her heart would explode when she barged into her home that evening without thinking the slightest and not bothering to move quietly, her weapon prepared.

In an instant her ears – strained to their extreme – caught sounds and she gave a wheezing gasp, her wide eyes turning towards Sai. " Those are coming from Katara's room."

They didn't hesitate to go on. (On their way, Sai spotted a body of whom he assumed was a babysitter in the house's kitchen, but he was discreet enough not to mention it to Sakura.) The closer they got to the child's room, the clearer the sounds became.

It tore Sakura's heart to hear her daughter crying. " What are you doing?"

There were sounds of slight struggling, and she was much too aware of the fact that someone picked her daughter into their arms. " I'm not going to hurt you. My orders were to take you to Orochimaru-sama."

At that moment all Sakura could see was red. A rather tall man with pale shaded hair and eyes – who'd just managed to get Katara into his arms – barely managed to look towards her when she was already attacking him. " Get… your hands… _off_ my daughter!"

She was too angry. In a matter of seconds she was flying, and saw stars for a moment when slamming against a wall.

" MOMMY!" Katara shrieked in terror.

If the unfamiliar man felt something when their gazes met, he hid it well. " All I want is to complete my mission. Please, don't make me do anything else."  
She would've definitely attacked again if it wasn't for Sai. She gasped despite herself when the men clashed together. Before she could process what was going on crying Katara was in her arms, and slightly bleeding Sai was hovering above them protectively, dark eyes unfamiliar. " Go", the man ordered in a gruff voice.

A huge part of her would've wanted to argue, but in the end the safety of her daughter weighed more. Her heart and feet felt heavy when she left the room.

Ten minutes after she'd slumped to the bathroom floor, cradling hysterically crying Katara close, sounds of two gunshots came, followed by the noises of a breaking glass. Half an hour later Sai appeared, clothes covered in blood that wasn't his.

* * *

Running Naruto's heart hammered while gunshots echoed through what seemed to be the entire building, each of them making him want to scream out loud as old memories resurfaced.

In the end a small cry did leave him when Sasuke pushed him to the floor just before a bullet would've hit him. Her eyes smouldered in a way he didn't recall seeing before. " Naruto, listen to me carefully", she all but hissed. " You need to be able to walk, okay? Go with Kakashi, and stay out of trouble, understood?"

A new gunshot that sounded slightly different joined the ruckus. Turning his head he noticed that Suigetsu was the one responsible. " I'll cover your sorry asses, so run."

And with that Kakashi dragged him to motion before he had a chance to think too much. They rushed on through the hallways until becoming aware of a rather serious problem.

Steps approached them from the half of the hallway towards which they'd been heading, and another set of steps kept following them. They were trapped.

Or so he thought.

He gasped when Kakashi's glow-covered fist suddenly smashed a nearby window, letting cool air inside to embrace them. Dark eyes flashed when meeting his. " This is the only way, understood? So be prepared."

He couldn't even ask what the heck was going on until he was already flying downwards, only shock keeping him from screaming his lungs out.

He landed against something, hard, and coughed as all air left his lungs. Once he opened his eyes he had to fight a little while before his vision stopped spinning. He blinked a bit at how long the fall he'd taken was.

_Uh-huh…_

" Are you still in one piece?"

He nodded, getting up carefully. Nothing felt broken. " Yeah… I guess." Just then a gunshot and something even louder coming from the building caught his attention, and he gasped with slightly widened eyes. " Sasuke…!" His eyebrows were furrowed when his gaze met Kakashi, who remained unmoving. " What the hell are you doing?! Sasuke and Suigetsu are getting butchered up there! Go and help them – I'll be fine!"

Something he couldn't quite read crossed older man's face. " Sasuke… is a skilled agent." There was something sharp and rough in the man's voice, which he soon identified as hidden worry. " Right now you are my top priority."

He chewed his lip like a child, not knowing what else to do.

It took hours, it felt to him, but finally Sasuke emerged from the building, limping a little and somewhat bloodied but nonetheless alive and rather well. Embarrassed as he felt by such a thing, he found it hard not to run and embrace the woman.

Onyx eyes smouldered. " The bandaged one of those three died, the second one got away. But we got the Deidara for interrogation. Suigetsu's taking care of the prisoner."  
Kakashi nodded, appearing pleased and solemn at the same time. " Good."

The silence that followed revealed that they all knew the same thing.

Sasuke and he would have to leave. Tokyo wasn't safe anymore.

* * *

It was almost morning already when Katara had finally calmed down enough to fall into a fitful sleep. Instead of leaving Sai stayed with Sakura, watching over the child's sleep with her.

They'd remained in silence for a long time until she spoke. " Are you alright?"

Sai's response took a moment, as though he hadn't understood he'd been addressed. " I'm fine." He fingered his injuries subconsciously. " The wounds don't hurt anymore."

It was then Sakura finally found it from her to say what she probably should've a long time ago. She cast her eyes downwards with a deep sigh. " I'm… sorry." She'd been cold, almost hostile towards him from the beginning – the passing night had confirmed she'd done wrong.

She could sense Sai's confusion as the man looked at her. " For what?"

She sighed again, looking at her daughter who was now sleeping peacefully. " I… misjudged you – I'm a big girl enough to admit that." She swallowed thickly. " Katara… She could've died without your help."

Sai looked at her and blinked twice, then moved his gaze back to the girl and shrugged, apparently unable to do anything else. His eyes seemed oddly cloudy, as though he hadn't been completely present.

She also looked towards Katara once more, then – most likely taking advantage of Sai's state of mind – took his hand and squeezed lightly. He shivered, but didn't pull his hand away.

Sai didn't leave her house that night. It was the first time since Lee's death there was a man under her roof.

* * *

When TenTen first heard that Kimimaro was sick that morning, she knew she should've been relieved – there was a chance she'd get rid of an enemy the tidiest possible way. That's why she was stunned to find herself rushing towards the laboratories instead, her heart thumping so that she could hear it.

Kabuto – who was just leaving the white haired's cell – frowned when seeing her. " What are you doing here?"

Surprisingly enough her expression didn't change. " I heard the subject isn't feeling well. It's my duty to check up on him."

To her surprise Kabuto's eyes flashed hazardously. " No one is allowed in. At the moment he's a danger to himself and others."  
A burst she knew to be dangerous flared through her, and before she could restrain herself she was snarling. " Let me in, now. Or do you want to lose another subject along with that killed one?"

She chose to ignore the suspicion in the man's eyes when he did as ordered. As she entered the cell absolutely everything but the sight before her flew away.

Kimimaro… definitely wasn't feeling well. He'd hunched to a corner, all but curled to a ball while sitting unsteadily. There was a rather large pool of vomit on the floor before him.

She knew she should've prepared herself for possibly having to kill him, for the absolutely worst. But when she saw him like this – so frail and exposed… How the heck was she supposed to see him as her enemy?

Shivering and swallowing down a foreign taste that rose into her mouth she approached. " Kimimaro?" He barely even shuddered at the sound of her voice. " What…?"

" Stay… away." The voice was far sharper than the one she'd grown accustomed to. He wouldn't look at her, and as he bowed his head white hair fell to shield his face from prying eyes. " Just… Just leave. Don't touch me."

She frowned, unable or unwilling to understand, and against his orders took a step closer. " What are you talking about?" She shivered a little when seeing all the blood on him. " You're injured. I have to…"

" It's not my blood." The voice was quiet, but nonetheless managed to fill her head completely. She couldn't move – couldn't do a thing, really – when he suddenly doubled over once more, and threw up loudly. Red stripes could be seen in the vomit, indicating that some damage had been done. She'd never seen anyone shiver the way he did then. " I… I killed them – slaughtered them. I… I…" His voice faded away.

She felt dizzy with understanding, and for a moment she was sure she'd heave as well.

So now it was official. He'd killed her comrades, ANBU members, killed for Orochimaru.

For a moment her trembling hand rested on her weapon, and for a couple of blinks she was fully ready to use it. But then the limb withdrew once more – still shivering pathetically – and she slumped down beside the man, breathless and exhausted, utterly drained.

Not a word was passed between them.

* * *

Naruto's heart hammered wildly when he entered the airport that morning, finding himself glancing around wildly.

Hard as he tried, he couldn't quite convince himself that this was the right thing to do, that with leaving Tokyo behind he'd also chase away the shadows looming.

" Naruto." Sasuke's voice snatched him from those thoughts. The raven's expression was solemn. " Are you ready?"

He nodded, wishing he could've seemed more reassuring. " Yeah, I guess."

Despite the situation, he just had to grin a bit when Kiba – who's right leg was in a thick cast – hopped over to him and pulled into a one armed hug. " Good luck. And remember that if you do something stupid I'll come over personally and kick your ass."

He rolled his eyes a bit. " Yeah, yeah, I know." He then glanced towards the brunette's cast once more, feeling a slash of guilt. " You take care of yourself, too, okay?"

Kiba swatted his head rather roughly. " Quit looking like that. It's a real chick magnet, you know?"

Sakura, who was also stood in the background, rolled her eyes. " Brats."

" You should get going." Kakashi seemed even more serious than the last time they'd met. " There's no room for wasting time."

Both he and Sasuke nodded. Glancing to side, he felt a twinge he couldn't explain when noticing that Suigetsu whispered something into Sasuke's ear to which the woman nodded before they turned around and started to walk away, towards the unknown.

They never noticed that they held hands while going.

* * *

In the meantime in ANBU's base, Danzo looked around to make sure he wasn't listened to and fished out his cell phone. " It's me." His eyes flashed. " Now it's been confirmed. It's time to move."

* * *

Just like every member of ANBU, Hayate had been trained for becoming drugged, for ending up into the hands of the enemy. But no amount of training could've prepared him for the actual thing, for the moment he woke up to meet _those_ glass covered eyes.

The gray haired young man looking back him was expressionless. The stranger showed enough decency to wait for five full seconds before speaking. " Gekkou Hayate", the younger man stated in a voice that carried no emotion. " ANBU-member since the age of twenty-one, thirty successful missions completed. Latest mission, however, takes place over seven months ago; it was to protect Uch…"

His eyes narrowed, silencing the man who's expression turned almost curious, and his hands squirmed furiously in the ropes binding them. It was unnerving to be under those eyes that seemed to know everything. " What… the hell do you want… from me?" he hissed.

" You're a valuable asset." He felt chills when the man pulled out a blade. " We want _everything_ we can get out of you. And then _we're_ going to give you a little mission…"

Some moments later his scream ran through the hallways.

* * *

Late that evening, Orochimaru and Pein received a phone call that immediately aroused their attention. They both received the same, curt message.

" I know the exact current location of Uzumaki Naruto", a voice they didn't recognize announced. " And I'm willing to give it to whichever of you pays me best."

* * *

TBC, right?

* * *

A/N: So Naruto and Sasuke are on a run. Will they get to safety, or head from bad to worse? And who the heck just sold them out? What about Hayate? What…? (quits rambling questions when gets smacked into unconsciousness by Sasuke)

Agh, I'm on a tight schedule AGAIN, so I've gotta start running. PLEASE, hit me with a review before you do the same – even if it's just to scold me for those never ending cliffies… (sweatdrops)

'Til the next update, which'll hopefully be soon enough! Join the ride then, yeah?

Be good!


	7. Perilous Bonding

REWRITTEN

A/N: Heh, after FOR ONCE rather reasonable amount of waiting time, it's HERE – the very new, still smoking chapter – WOO-HOO! (jumps all around) It takes a lot more than an annoying flue to keep me from writing to ya guys. (grins, then coughs and blows a nose) Dang…

First off, maaaassive thank yous for those reviews! (huggles) You can't even imagine how dear they are to me. THANK YOU! And special, monumental thank yous to my loyal proofreader **Serenityofthematrix** for the tireless job of going through this chappy! (hugs)

Awkay, because my nose is running like Niagara and I've got a feeling you want to get on with the story, let's go, ne? (smirks) 'Hope you'll enjoy the ride.

* * *

/ _The first time Sasuke was forced to see something dead was when she was six and a half years old._

_Just like ever so often Itachi was giving her a piggyback ride on the way from school to their home when her dark eyes spotted something that made her gasp loudly._

_Itachi gave her a worried look. " What's wrong?"_

_She barely heard, for her eyes were locked to a tiny, extremely beautiful bird that lay on the path not too far from them. " That bird… It's too still."_

_Itachi looked towards the same direction, and on her place it was easy for her to feel just how tense her brother became. " It's… dead, Sasuke."  
She frowned, not liking that word at all. " Why?"_

_Itachi sighed heavily. If she'd been a little older she might've heard the sadness behind the gesture. " There's only a certain amount of time each living being has, Sasuke – you'll understand that when you grow up a little." There was a moment's pause, after which her brother looked up at her. She was confused by how dark the boy's eyes were. " Do you want to bury it?"_

_She nodded somewhat hesitantly._

_As from then she watched with bafflement how her brother buried the unfortunate being, his moves gentler and softer than she'd ever seen them. In her naivety, she wondered why her brother blinked as hard as he did._

_Once the strange, disturbing ceremony was over and their journey continued, she came to think of something that startled her immensely._

_Itachi looked up once more when her hold on him tightened significantly. " Are you alright?"_

_Her eyes stung badly while she looked at him and bit her lip hard. " You… You'll never leave me, right? Your time isn't up yet."_

_She failed to see the sadness behind her brother's smile. " Of course I won't leave you, silly." The boy looked away rather rapidly. " Now let's keep going – mom will be upset if we're late."  
When she came home from school the next day, having made the long journey all alone this time, her parents and Itachi weren't waiting. Instead she found pools of blood and Orochimaru._ /

* * *

/ _Naruto was much too young to remember his two first encounters with death. To recall how his mother had screamed for both their lives until finally dying a minute after childbirth. How his father had died in a car crash that'd almost killed him as well when he'd been three. (Fortunately he also didn't pay attention to the headlines screaming "Another mob style kill – Public prosecutor murdered".)_

_The third one, unfortunately, he remembered much too well, although he was only seven and much too young to process everything that was happening._

_Feral screams erupted through his lips while he watched Iruka's ashes become buried in a deep, gaping hole. Tears streamed and blinded him while he struggled furiously against the arms holding him back. " Don't do this!" he screamed. " Let him go! Let him go!"_

_He never even noticed that the ceremony ended and almost everyone left._

_He didn't wake up from his frantic trance until a familiar female voice snatched him. " Naruto." Shizune's eyes and voice were filled with sadness and tears. " I… I know you miss Iruka terribly – I miss him, too. But… He wouldn't want us to cry. We need to be strong for him. Can you do that?"_

_He nodded, feeling slightly stronger all of a sudden._

" _Excuse me." The new voice, as well as the approaching steps, brought him chills. " I'm looking for Naruto Namikaze."_

_He shivered and held on to Shizune as tightly as he possibly could when a man with almost bluish skin and sharp shark's teeth stepped in to view. To him, that man was an image of every single one of his nightmares._

_Shizune's eyes narrowed. " Who the hell are you?"_

_The man took out a card of some sort, flashing a cold, toothy grin his way before focusing on Shizune again. " I'm Kisame Hoshigaki, a social worker. I came to collect Naruto."_ /

* * *

CHAPTER 7: Perilous Bonding

* * *

/ **Two And A Half Months Later.** / (1)

* * *

Sasuke had expected that spending several months on the run with Naruto would be unbearably unpleasant. That's why she was stunned to find that she was enjoying herself – momentarily, at very least.

They'd traveled through what felt like half of the known world, seen many places she could've never imagined getting to visit. In five locations their relationship had changed dramatically, although she wasn't entirely ready to admit it yet.

In Paris they'd discovered that they were both orphans, and in silence they'd both started to wonder if they had more in common than they'd thought.

In New York they'd been forced to spend a night in a jail together. Annoying as it'd been, being locked into a confined space had brought them closer in some twisted way.

In Milan Sasuke had taken care of Naruto when an extremely nasty flue had struck him, and he'd been forced to admit out loud that it felt good to be taken care of by her.

In Toronto Naruto had tried to teach her skating, resulting in her waking up in an emergency room – with Naruto sleeping by her side. For two weeks after that he didn't leave her side for a second.

In Moscow they'd shared their half accidental first kiss after a rather wild night. They'd both denied that it would've meant something the next morning, though.

Now they were in Barcelona, where a woman named Shizune – who Naruto called auntie, amongst some not quite as flattering nicknames – lived alone in a huge house. Sasuke had been hesitant to stay with someone Naruto knew so well at first, but pretty soon the blonde had managed to convince her that if there was one place in the world no creep would find, it was this one.

Once there, Sasuke surprised herself with relaxing. With sun, warmth and Shizune's surprisingly pleasant company it was deviously easy to imagine that they'd indeed managed to find some paradise from where no harms of the world could reach them.

Now they'd spent three days in this place, she counted, and surprised herself with wishing there was more to come.

She shivered out of those thoughts when someone wrapped their arms playfully around her waistline. " Now don't you look cheery today." Naruto poked her cheek gently. " This place does miracles to you."

She snorted a little, leaning backwards without noticing it. " Hn."

Before she could barely process needing such, Naruto handed her a glass of water. " Is the heat still getting to you?"

It took her all to disguise surprise. The dobe had actually noticed? Working her hardest to maintain her poker face, she took three hungry gulps. " Thanks, for the water." She didn't bother answering his question.

Naruto merely shrugged, then – without either one of them really realizing what was happening – rested his chin on her shoulder and tightened his hold on her.

After a couple of moments they were startled out of their cosy dreamland when a rather loud, crackling sound came from nearby. She tensed up, and instinctively took a protective stance before Naruto while her eyes darted around.

Just then Shizune walked out of the mansion like house, appearing irritated. " Damn brats and their firecrackers." Sounds of the said kids disappearing to bushes, along with laughing, could be heard while the woman stood beside them. " I was already expecting them, actually. They haven't showed up in a while."

Naruto made a sound of irritation, breathing hard and appearing slightly flushed. " Those midgets only cause trouble."

Shizune's eyes turned soft, although the woman swatted the blonde's head. " You shouldn't say that, Naruto. Children are a wonderful thing – trust me, one day you'll find yourself wishing to be a father."

Naruto snorted. " Yeah, right…"

Sasuke barely managed to catch that conversation, because her mind moved busily to distant days of the past. Her eyes narrowed and a horrendous taste crawled upwards when memories flashed by like a lousy movie.

/ _" It's positive."_

_She could still recall the sound of a glass falling. " Are you serious?"_

_She could also remember the exact warmth of the embrace she was wrapped into._ /

One of her hands flew instinctively to her stomach, where she knew a rather huge scar to be. Memories she'd managed to suppress for a couple of months came rushing back, as though mocking her.

/ _" See that? It's a healthy heart beating."_ /

She breathed sharply through her nose, attempting to chase away the desire to vomit.

/ _" Sasuke, the baby…" Never had a pause made her feel as nauseated as she did then. " We… We need to perform a procedure, to get the rest out."_ /

She gasped, feeling like her insides had been turned upside down.

" Sasuke?" The hand landing to cover her shoulder sent electric jolts through her entire being. " What's wrong?"

She all but jumped away from the touch. " I'll be back in a second."

With those words she escaped, ignoring the looks and words of protest she received.

As soon as she made it to the nearest bathroom she threw up loudly.

* * *

Back in Tokyo TenTen frowned when approaching the cell locking Kimimaro in, and finding Kabuto emerging with a full tray of food and a stormy expression. " Did he refuse to eat again?" she inquired, unable to hold herself back.

The man nodded somewhat stiffly, appearing deeply irritated. " If he keeps going on like this he won't last much longer. And Orochimaru-sama will kill me for not being able to keep a subject alive."

She swallowed, feeling deeply repulsed by his words, and felt her eyes flash the second words popped out free of her will. " Let me in." Meeting the man's sceptical expression she went on. " Just trust me, will you? I can do a lot more in a couple of minutes than you've done during the past two months."

Reluctance could be seen on the silver haired's face, but in the end the man actually moved. " You've got fifteen minutes."

She didn't spare him a glance while entering. Hard as she'd braced herself in beforehand, she still had to wince at what she found. Gosh, Kimimaro had lost so much weight… The man sitting on a floor, hugging his legs, wasn't the one she'd met when starting this mission. " Kimimaro?"

He shook his head. " No, not… Not now."

In a flash she realized, and anger boiled in her veins. They'd made him kill, _again_. Apparently they wouldn't stop until there'd be nothing left of Kimimaro.

Swallowing and feeling hesitant she knelt down, purposely brushing his hand on the way to show she wasn't afraid of him. He shuddered, but didn't pull away. " You were forced to do it – it wasn't your fault, alright? It wasn't your fault." After a couple of moments she finally managed to read his stiffness. " It's… It's alright to cry, you know?" she murmured, unsure whether she was allowed to touch the man or not. " You're allowed to feel – there's nothing wrong with it."

For a couple of long moments Kimimaro stared at her with slightly widened, nearly glazed green eyes. Then – so suddenly it caught them both by surprise – came a soul tear, sliding across the man's cheek and creating a clearly visible path on its way. Soon after – noticing that the road was open – another followed, then one more. As soon as the man felt the tracks of warmth he looked away, seeming utterly embarrassed. " I… didn't mean to."

She shook her head, swallowing down a huge lump. " You need to", she murmured, finding herself mesmerized by how his green eyes shone when some more tears filled them. " You're only human, Kimimaro. It's nothing to be ashamed of."

Those words sunk in slowly yet surely, and once they did she was nearly startled by their affect. In a matter of seconds Kimimaro doubled over, as though attempting to hide himself. What she knew to be sobs shook his frame.

At that moment she didn't care about her mission or the security cameras she knew to be everywhere around them.

As the man broke down piece by piece she held on tight, for both of them.

Right there and then she already had a feeling that this mission could only end in disaster.

* * *

When Sakura woke up that morning, she wasn't entirely sure what had happened and where she was. Very slowly pieces started to slide together.

There'd been a harsh shooting practice. After that Sai had spent the night at her place – which wasn't anything new, considering the man had spent the majority of his time in her house during the past couple of months.

Yawning softly, she opened her eyes properly and looked to the side. A stab of disappointment crossed her when she realized that Sai wasn't there. All she met was a tiny piece of paper, which had a few lines of hastily written text.

_Had to leave for a mission. Sorry I didn't wake you._

_I'll call you as soon as I can._

_S_

Sighing heavily and forcing down a stab of worry she'd grown sadly accustomed to when she'd been with Lee, she crawled out of the bed, put on some clothes and tiptoed to Katara's room. Her daughter slept so peacefully that it was a pity to wake her, but she had no other choice.

For the past couple of months the Akatsuki had been attacking pretty much every member of ANBU, and even she'd been forced to move five times. Katara wasn't safe at home while she was working, not even with a babysitter.

" Hummingbird, wake up", she called softly, stroking the girl's cheek. She smiled a little at how her daughter's nose wrinkled. " Get up now, and I'll make you some pancakes for breakfast. How's that for a deal?"

Katara needed no further coaxing.

About forty minutes later they were already leaving when she realized that she'd almost forgotten her back bag. She swore mentally at herself.

She'd been with Sai only a couple of months now, and she was already getting this dippy?

She sighed while glancing towards her daughter. " I'll be back in a second, alright?"

Her feet working mechanically, she made her way towards the room she basically shared with Sai and grabbed her bag. She'd almost left until her careful eyes spotted a thing that made her freeze.

Sai had obviously left in a hurry, because the man hadn't noticed that he'd left one thing behind. Something had fallen from the pocket of Sai's jacket when the man had picked it up. Something that made a disgusting taste roll into her mouth.

A ring – golden and wide, such a man would wear.

Very slowly, almost sure that she wouldn't like the results, she picked up the object. A cold stab crossed her body when she noticed what was engraved inside.

_Ino & Sai, Forever_

Her eyes narrowed hazardously at the text. For a moment she squeezed her fist around the metal in a fruitless, childish attempt to destroy it – as though it'd been the soul cause of all her misery – then slackened her hold and slid the ring into her pocket.

Maybe she'd ask about this, as soon as she wouldn't feel like killing Sai anymore.

Sighing heavily he leaned against a wall, wondering how breathing could possibly feel as hard as it did just then.

" Mommy?" Katara's voice startled her. Her daughter seemed worried and confused, which was something she wouldn't have wanted to see. " 'You okay?"

She forced a smile, wishing her eyes hadn't stung the way they did just then. " Of course I am." Then, having composed herself, she walked on and took the child's hand gently. " Now let's go and meet uncle Kakashi, okay?"

* * *

Naruto cursed his lack of imagination while looking for Sasuke.

She was a freaking secret agent. He should've known to expect that finding her would be an agonizingly hard task.

Just when he was about to toss aside all hope he suddenly saw something that made him freeze mid step. Sure enough, it was Sasuke standing on a nearby balcony, a cigarette she couldn't light in her perfectly still hand.

Had the sight been a little less heartbreaking, he might've smirked victoriously while approaching her. " So here you are." Of course she tensed when hearing his voice. " What's going on? You seemed sick while running off."

Sasuke waited for quite a while before speaking. " I'm perfectly fine", she all but growled, her hands squeezing the balcony's railing so that knuckles turned white. " You should know that much by now."

" How am I supposed to know, huh?" He didn't mean to sound as desperate as he did then, but it didn't matter much, either. " How am I supposed to know anything about what's going on in your head if you keep pushing me away like this?" Knowing that he was most likely risking his life he placed his hand nearby the woman's neck, as though hoping such a sensitive spot would make her more open. " Sasuke, please. Something's going on, and I can tell it's killing you. Stop doing this – to both of us."

Her eyes narrowed. " I'm your bodyguard, not a patient or a charity case."

He grit his teeth forcefully to keep himself from saying something that would've been out of place. " Please", he tried again, as softly as he possibly could. " You've… You've saved my life so many times. Stop torturing yourself and let me help for change." He mused for a while. " Was it… something Shizune said? About the baby?"

It took several endless moments, but eventually there was a breath light whisper. " I… was pregnant." She swallowed thickly, not looking his way. It took a careful eye to notice that her hands trembled. " A year ago I screwed up on a mission." Her eyes became stony, distant. " They… don't know if I'll ever have a second chance."

His eyes widened once facts started to sink in, and he found himself drawing in a gasp. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. What was he supposed to say?

In the end, he realized that the only way to repay such a sign of tremendous trust was to return it – just like Kakashi had tried to tell him.

Sasuke shivered when he took her hand, but didn't pull away. She frowned when looking at him. " What…?" Her exhausted voice died out.

As gently as he could he pulled her to motion. " C'mon", he murmured, feeling shivers. " I… want to show you something."

* * *

Hayate had no idea how long he'd spent in that reeking, pitch black cell, tied up so tightly that his wrists and ankles throbbed numbly. He'd lost track of time after the twenty-five first days.

During that time he'd been beaten, interrogated, tortured until he'd lost his voice from screaming. Judging by how badly he was hurting he suspected that he had several infected wounds and broken bones, and he was fairly sure he had a rather nasty fever. His cough was also worse than he could remember it ever being, and the coldness that always wrapped around him did nothing to help.

He'd almost sunken into a black hue, because that was where he spent most of the time to avoid pain, until the door of his cell opened. Had he possessed the will to do so, he would've arched an eyebrow when seeing who entered. It was none other than Orochimaru.

" You're awake, good. Kabuto warned me you might not be exactly… cooperative."

He growled, half subconsciously revealing his teeth. Three loud coughs came. " If… you think you'd have any more luck with persuading me, guess again."

A smile that chilled him to bone rose to Orochimaru's features. " You really believe in your… friends, don't you?"

He merely narrowed his eyes, unable to keep himself from coughing.

" It's been two and a half months", Orochimaru reminded him in a voice that made him feel even more nauseated than he had already. " And none one's showed up to get you yet." Snake's eyes flashed. " Doesn't that tell you everything necessary about the value of their friendship?"

He growled, his eyes narrowing. " You have no right to talk about them", he snarled, feeling the hair in the back of his neck rise.

Orochimaru shrugged nonchalantly, as though he'd just commented on the weather. " However you please." He shivered a little when the man placed something to the floor before him – a tray full of food. " Despite the fact that you despise me you should eat. According to Kabuto you haven't eaten properly since you arrived."

His eyes narrowed once again while he coughed twice. " I'm not hungry."

" Well then." The food was taken away as fast as it'd been offered to him. " Don't complain to us if you're hungry – we did our best to help." With that Orochimaru had disappeared, leaving him alone into the shadows.

He hung his head, coughing sharply. In a matter of minutes he'd sunken into darkness, not knowing that that help was closer than he could've ever imagined.

He wasn't shuddered into wakefulness until three hours later when the cell's door opened. He frowned at the sight of Kabuto's face. " Wha…?" Coughs broke his voice.

" Orochimaru-sama's orders", the younger man announced. " It's time to go."

* * *

In the meantime in ANBU's somewhat repaired base building Kakashi felt a yet another headache attacking like a sledgehammer.

It wasn't enough that he had to worry about the safety of all his employees, who'd been under what felt like a million attacks lately. It also seemed that the whole organization was slowly yet steadily falling apart with numerous agents switching sides after facing too much danger, and most of their files in too much of a mess to be sorted out. Plus, to make things worse, Hayate was still missing.

He certainly wasn't the type that'd get worried easily, but he was forced to admit that he was starting to grow panicked over the safety of his best friend. It didn't make his worry and guilt any easier that he had to see Yuugao's unnaturally tense face – which was marked by sleepless nights and self-accusations – every single day.

That day, however, finally seemed to bring something new.

His eyes flashed when he saw the look upon Yuugao's face while the woman all but ran to him. " What is it?"

She swallowed loudly. " It's Hayate", was all she managed to produce at the moment.

His heart skipped a beat. " Do you know where he is?"

The woman nodded furiously. " I think so. It's much closer than we thought."

He nodded as well, feeling his head whirr around in a mad speed. " Get going, and take six men with you. I'll be along as soon as I can."

She nodded, and wasted no time before sprinting away.

He did a couple of things he paid barely any mind to, then moved to follow the woman. A voice stopped him before he ever made it out of the building.

" You are not going anywhere, Kakashi." Danzo's voice sounded even more ominous than usually.

He frowned while turning his head, and felt chills. The man was stood behind him with three guards he couldn't recognize. A deep frown appeared to his face. " What the hell is this about?"

The man lifted his chin, seeming so arrogant it nauseated him. " Things are going to change dramatically around here."

* * *

Although Sasuke would've never admitted it, Naruto could tell the raven was mildly surprised when he took her to a shore. " Are you actually planning on going swimming?"

He rolled his eyes, although a corner of his mouth twitched. " No." All humour, however, disappeared when what he was about to do sunk in. His eyes watered, but he blinked to moisture away rapidly. They stopped to a rather small, almost black stone he knew much too well. " I… I just wanted to show you this."

At first Sasuke frowned, but then her eyes darkened when realization started to dawn.

He swallowed, then spoke somewhat shakily although he hadn't been asked to. " He… He took care of me for years in a orphanage, and…" He gulped again, finding it almost impossible to speak. " Shizune was his wife, and she… We all… We took his ashes here." He almost choked on his breath. " He… He always loved it here."

Even though it'd been so many years, his eyes nearly overflowed at the sight of the engraved text.

_Iruka Umino_

" He… He was the only father I've ever known", he murmured, caressing the stone with his fingertips. It took his all not to break down, and he couldn't understand why he held himself back so harshly. " After he was murdered, I… got lost, I guess. I was lost for too many years."

He sensed how Sasuke nodded, and wondered why it felt so good to feel her hand on his shoulder. (He was in no condition to wonder why the hand was there to begin with.)

For several minutes they sat there, drawing strength from one another, until there was something so soft he barely caught it. " Thank you."

He blinked twice when looking towards Sasuke, utterly dumbfounded, then grinned, the sadness inside him giving room for something else. Without him noticing it his hand landed to the woman's. " No problem."

The moment was so utterly calm, so soothing, that his mind actually managed to drift away from all the danger looming, from everything that was threatening him – them both.

For at least a little while everything was all right in the world again.

* * *

They may not have been as relaxed if they'd known about the duo that arrived at Barcelona's airport just then.

Deidara stretched and yawned openly. " That must've been the longest and most boring flight I've ever been to, un." When his partner didn't speak he turned his head with a frown. Something he identified as suspicion crawled underneath his skin. " She's your sister. Are you sure you can do this?"

He regretted ever asking when seeing the flash that crossed Itachi's eyes. " Yes. I saw what happened to Karin after she messed up with that friend of Naruto's – I won't make the same mistake." The taller man then started to march on, leaving him behind without a glance. " Let's just get this over with."

He snorted, rolling his eyes while following his newly assigned partner. " Now aren't you a real bundle of joy, un."

They didn't speak another word while going.

TBC, or…?

* * *

1) From the last chapter, of course. (grins)

* * *

A/N: They had their moment of peace, but it looks like the heat's about to get turned back on soon. (shudders) Poor Hayate, btw! (sniffs)

Awkay, because staying up too late won't do any good to my fever that seems to be sneaking upwards, I better start tuning out now. (smirks sheepishly) Feel free to leave a review before going – I may just have some fresh cookies for those who do… (wink, wink)

'Til next time – 'hope I'll see ya all then!

Take care!


	8. Thicker Than Water

REWRITTEN

A/N: Urgh! I know it's taken me too long to update, AGAIN – I'm truly sorry! (winces) But now I FINALLY have a new chappy along. (smirks and rubs hands together with excitement)

For starters, MASSIVE thank yous for those heart swelling review! (hugs) You truly warm my silly 'lil heart. (grins, and offers treats as a reward) And once more, super sized thank yous to **Serenityofthematrix** for the unbelievable job of proofreading!

Owkay, because I've already kept you waiting, let's roll! 'Hope you'll have a good ride, un.

* * *

/ _Despite her age, six-years-old Sasuke watched keenly – her eyes gleaming – while Itachi practiced his ninja skills, trying her hardest to imprint every detail into her mind._

_One day, she swore to herself, she'd be just as good, have as much appreciation from their father as her brother did._

_Just then Itachi noticed her and stopped practicing. " How long have you been there?"_

_She found herself blushing. " A while. I want to learn."_

_Itachi's eyebrow rose. " Well, in that case…" He motioned for her to come closer. " Let's see what you've got."_

_Sure of herself, she got up from her hiding place and walked closer – only to find that Itachi's leg moved, sweeping her to the floor, as soon as she was close enough._

_She pouted once getting into a sitting position. " That was rude!"  
Smiling barely traceably, Itachi outstretched a hand. " No, Sasuke. Only a valuable lesson." She took the hand, and he went on as soon as he'd helped her up. " If you want to be good at ninjitsu one day, you must always remember your balance. Will you do that?"_

_She grinned brightly, her eyes sparkling. " Yeah!"_

_Her brother ruffled her hair. " Good. Now let's go and see if there's any of those cookies left…"_ /

* * *

/ _Once he'd been all but abducted from Iruka's funeral by the strange man – Kisame – Naruto found chilling, they drove on for three hours in utter silence until the man suddenly pulled off. " We're here, brat."_

_Looking through the car's window he gasped, finding his eyes widening when meeting the biggest, fanciest mansion he'd ever faced. " Woah!"_

" _Stop gawking and move." Kisame was already moving and he found himself following rapidly, terrified of being left alone here, when he didn't even know where _here_ was. " It's time you meet the Leader."_

_He frowned, not liking the last word a bit. " Leader?"_

_It was around then he noticed a man with flaming, orange hair and what looked to him like hundreds of piercings stood nearby with folded arms. " You're late, Kisame." It was the first time he met Pein's eyes. " Welcome to the training camp, Naruto", the man greeted. " Now let's see if you're any good…"_ /

* * *

CHAPTER 8: Thicker Than Water

* * *

Naruto yawned and stretched while stepping to the porch of Shizune's mansion, not all that surprised to find Sasuke there. " You never sleep, do you?" he groaned, trying his hardest to wake up just a little.

The Uchiha emitted a rather soft ' Hn'. " I… needed some time to think, I guess." She looked around with soft eyes he hadn't expected to meet. " It's beautiful out here."

He grinned brightly. " Yeah." His gaze rose towards the clear sky. " This is definitely my favorite place. I love how bright the stars are around here."

Sasuke arched an eyebrow. " 'Never thought you to be the type that liked stargazing."

He smirked cheekily. " I'm full of surprises, aren't I?"

With that comment he met something he welcomed gladly – a small, yet genuine smile that lit up Sasuke's face. " Hn."

The comfortable moment might've lasted for a long time, if it wasn't for Sasuke tensing up all of a sudden.

He frowned, knowing to expect something far from pleasant. " What's going on?"

" I… don't know." She reached out towards weapons while speaking and moving a couple of steps. " Go inside and _stay_ there. Make sure no one will be able to spot you."

Before he could protest she'd already disappeared.

-

Sasuke had been walking around for quite a while on the beach – with the bad feeling in her chest growing constantly – and she was almost ready to think she was imagining things, until she felt a far too familiar presence.

She tensed up completely several seconds before the voice came. " Hello, Sasuke."

* * *

In the meantime in ANBU's base building, Sakura frowned when watching the room into which Danzo had all but dragged Kakashi much too long ago.

Something was very, very badly wrong.

She shivered – with what, she couldn't tell – when hearing Sai's voice all of a sudden. " This isn't good."

A rush of red she'd grown sadly accustomed to since finding his ring some hours earlier appeared to cloud her eyes, even stronger than before. " So the mission ended quickly", she all but hissed.

" It never happened – apparently Danzo's postponed most of the missions Kakashi has assigned lately." Stepping so that he could see her face, he frowned ever so slightly. " Sakura, what's going on?"

She grit her teeth and balled her fists, using her all not to attack him. " I need some air." With that she turned around sharply and started to walk away, never noticing that she dropped something.

-

Once Sakura had left, Sai found his gaze wandering downwards. He swallowed thickly when noticing what the woman had dropped.

It was a ring he recognized better than well.

His eyes darkened, and he trembled barely traceably.

So now was the time to do what he'd been dreading from the beginning…

* * *

In the room Sakura had been keeping an eye on, Kakashi felt his blood pressure rising while all but glaring at Danzo. " Hayate is out there!" he nearly snarled. " And you keep stalling me with this pointless interrogation. What are you doing?"

Danzo's eyes carried a gleam that chilled him. " Like I said, things are going to change dramatically." The man held a pause. " I was just assigned as the new leader of Black Ops. And as my first mission I'm going to make sure you won't jeopardize this organization's reputation or the agents we have left with such a ridiculous mission to save a dead man walking."

He sensed something close to rage burning in his veins. He was starting to feel ready to kill.

Hayate's life was at stake – he couldn't afford hindrances like this.

" Am I allowed to go to a bathroom?" he inquired, not bothering to hide his emotions.

Danzo gave him a dry look. " You have one minute."

He nodded sharply, taking his leave.

He wouldn't be able to go without arousing unwanted attention. But at least he'd be able to send a warning…

* * *

Back on the beach, Sasuke felt absolutely everything inside her burning – damn right seething – while the much too familiar voice seeped through like poison. Her muscles moved almost as though in a reflex.

In a flash she'd spun around, so that a long knife was placed to her brother's – who'd changed so little it almost managed to surprise her – throat. Her eyes narrowed, turned dangerous. " Whatever hole you'd found for yourself…", she growled through gritted teeth. " You should've just stayed there."

Itachi didn't seem affected, didn't even look at the weapon. " Long time no see."

Her eyes narrowed. " I know your people never move alone", she hissed. " Where the hell is your partner?" If that freak would harm Naruto, she swore…

Itachi's eyes didn't change although her blade was a millimetre from slicing his windpipe. " That's unimportant at the moment." He placed his hand to the steel on his throat and looked at it for a moment, but didn't move to get rid of it just yet. The dark eyes then looked straight into hers. " I came to give you a message."

Her eyebrow bounced up while her eyes burned. " Why should I buy anything you're telling me?" she snarled.

If Itachi was the slightest bit affected, he hid it very well. " There's a disc in Naruto's possession – such a lot of people would pay a great price for. Find out what's in it, before it's too late. You need to stop it before they get to him first."

She frowned, the hand holding the blade twitching the faintest bit.

_Stop what?_ She, however, never spoke.

Most likely taking advantage of her momentary, uncharacteristic confusion, Itachi finally moved his hand, effortlessly shifting away the weapon that'd been threatening him. " I've done what I came here for, so I'm going to leave now." Dark eyes – so much like hers it sickened her – clashed together with hers. " You can waste time on trying to stop me, or let me go and go to help your client. The choice is yours."

Once he'd turned around and started to walk away, she wasted no time.

She jumped, her blade moving once more, and repositioned herself as soon as her feet touched the ground, spinning so that the steel was once more threatening Itachi. Unfortunately, she was once again forced to face just how alike they'd always been. She breathed sharply with bubbling rage when finding a blade at her own throat as well.

Itachi eyes were dark, and if she used her imagination she managed to catch the slightest of changes in them. Something she'd last seen when she'd been much younger. " It's not in my power to decide whether you trust me or not, Sasuke. But if you want to keep your client alive, I suggest you listen to me for once." He tilted his head. " Just like you should've listened to me when I tried to teach you ninjitsu."

She frowned. " What are you talking about?"

" Always remember the balance, Sasuke."

Had she been able to forget about her pride, she would've without a doubt gasped when Itachi's leg moved all of a sudden, sweeping her out of balance from the rather badly chosen position she'd been in. Before she could do more than blink he'd struck her, sending her quite heavily against the nearest tree.

Everything turned dark.

* * *

Usually TenTen found herself enjoying the visits she was allowed to take to Kimimaro. That day, however, her knees trembled a little despite all the training she'd received. Orochimaru's venomous words kept echoing in her head, making her feel sick to her stomach.

* * *

/ _" He's been acting… irrationally – you know that as well as I do." The man had given her a deviously innocent looking needle. " This, is the only way to make him valuable again." She'd had a much too clear idea what that meant._

_She'd frowned. " What… is it going to do to him?" Then, already knowing it could be a fatal mistake, she'd asked bluntly. " Could it kill him?"_

_Orochimaru's eyes had flashed. ' Don't make me question your loyalty', that gaze had said. " We'll have to try and see, don't we?"_ /

* * *

Kimimaro shivered a little when hearing the door. She found her heart twitching when watching how he calmed down once recognizing her. " Ten?" She had no idea when she'd earned an actual pet name. " What are you doing here?"

It took her all to create a tiny, feeble smile. " Orochimaru… asked me to give you some extra medication, that's all."

Kimimaro frowned when noticing the needle and the liquid in it, green eyes filled with something she would've called fear when seeing it on anyone else. " What… is that thing?" he inquired quietly, appearing so very tired and confused that it made her chest contort uncomfortably.

She emitted a slightly shuddering breath, kneeling to his side with the needle still in her firm hold. " This… is going to make you feel alright again, that's all." She'd never hated lying as much as she did then. She tried to blink away the stinging that appeared into her eyes. " You… haven't been feeling well lately. This will take away the ache."

In a matter of moments she found that it hurt more than she could've ever imagined to face the unconditional trust that appeared into his eyes while he outstretched his much too poked arm for her. " I trust you."

At the moment, irrational as she knew it to be, she almost hated him for it.

Her hands trembled more than ever before when she allowed the needle to pierce his pale skin, injected the bluish serum although all her reason screamed against it.

_For the mission_, she tried to tell herself. _For the sake of everyone, for him._ She didn't manage to become convinced.

In a matter of moments – as soon as the needle had been removed – the man suddenly slumped forward with a faint gasp, without a doubt incredibly dizzy. She caught him immediately, held him so gently it scared her.

She squeezed her eyes tightly shut. " It's going to be alright", she murmured, pulling him tightly to her chest and working her hardest not to let him hear the abnormal rhythm of her breathing. " It's alright, I promise. Everything's going to work out."

Judging by how stiff he was at first, she was sure Kimimaro would try and vigour away from her hold. That's why she shuddered when he leaned slightly closer instead, most likely too exhausted for anything else. " Alright." It was quiet, filled with such silent relief it made her feel even worse.

Nothing more was spoken while they remained like that, listening to each other's breathing and feeling one another's heartbeats.

From her own turmoil of emotions, TenTen couldn't possibly guess that Kimimaro knew exactly what she was doing.

She hated this, absolutely detested doing something like this, but what else was she supposed to do? This was for the best, or so she told herself – even for Kimimaro.

Ignoring security cameras and all reason, she gave a moan of anguish when the man finally fell limply against her, breathing oddly deeply.

* * *

Sakura didn't know how long she'd been standing outside ANBU's base, taking sharp, angry breaths of cold air, when she grit her teeth at the sound of Sai's voice. " So here you are."

Her eyes flashed, and she refused to look towards him. " What makes you think I'd want to talk right now?"

She felt her anger get even more intense when he showed the ring right before her eyes. " Is this what got you so upset?"

She couldn't hold herself back any longer. " Yes, okay! You… You're _married_! For two months you…!" She swallowed the rest. " And you…!" She couldn't bring herself to say the words.

Sai spoke after a long pause. " Yes. Ino _was_ my wife."

She frowned, her head starting to whirr. _Was?_ Now, she actually turned to look towards him. " Are you… divorced?"

The look that appeared to his face made her hope she'd never asked. " I… almost wish I was." He looked downwards, appearing deep in thought. " Ino, she… She died, two years ago. Along with our daughter." He seemed to take a deep breath, obviously to endure the weight of his words. " Her car was exploded, because of me."

She emitted a loud gasp, feeling her eyes widening and her chest shuddering with guilt.

' I'm so sorry', she would've wanted to say, but absolutely no words managed to crawl through her throat. Instead of speech she decided to settle with actions.

Sai's hand shuddered when she placed hers to cover it, but he didn't pull it away. Comfortable silence lingered while they stood there, eyes directed towards the horizon, wondering what would happen next.

* * *

Back in Shizune's house, Naruto was getting more anxious when no signs of Sasuke had appeared after almost half an hour – or half a decade, he was almost ready to assume.

Something was wrong, badly wrong, he announced to himself in the end. She was taking too long.

After making sure Shizune was still fast asleep – knowing exactly what she'd do if ever finding out what he was planning – he started to sneak towards the front door.

Yes, Sasuke had told him to stay inside, to stay safe and out of sight. But how the hell was he supposed to be able to let her be in a danger like this, with him doing nothing but sitting back like some coward?

His hand was already on the door handle when a voice that chilled him appeared. " I wouldn't do that unless you want to blow yourself up, un."

He turned his gaze, and felt his eyes narrow when seeing a much too familiar person. " Deidara."

The blonde's eyebrow bounced out, yet the man didn't move from the armchair he'd taken. " Impressive, un. In all honesty, I never put much faith in your memory. But now…" The man's eyes flashed rather dangerously. " You're good at slipping away from us, un – proves just how valuable you could've been if you hadn't made things messy. But right now I'm sick of running after you, so let's go before I decide to blow you up after all."

His eyes remained narrowed, although he found himself shivering just a little. " Sasuke's going to kill you, you know?"

Deidara merely chuckled, as though he'd told the best of all jokes. " Now you're an amusing little thing, un." The blond leaned forward, leaning his chin against his hands. " You know… ANBU already had me in custody, and they were forced to let me run. So how do you think Sasuke would be able to do a thing to stop me?"

" I think he got the picture already." The dry, unfamiliar male's voice sent shivers through his entire being. Turning his head once more, he found a man who looked so much like Sasuke that it made him blink. The raven didn't seem to pay much attention to him while walking through the hallway coming from a backdoor. " So let's get going."

Deidara scoffed, pushing himself up from the chair. " 'Bout bloody time! This heat is driving me insane." Seeing that the raven wasn't moving, the blond stopped. " So… What's the plan?"

Itachi threw the blond a set of keys, which the man caught skilfully. " Go and start the car. I'll be there in a bit – with the target."

Deidara appeared far from pleased. In fact, the man almost pouted. " Why do you always get to do the good stuff, un?"

The raven appeared irritated. " Because I'm better and tidier at it – you always make too much of a mess. Now _go_."

Muttering something under his breath the man did as ordered, disappearing through the backdoor and slamming it shut so loudly Naruto was surprised and relieved Shizune didn't wake up.

As soon as they were alone, the unfamiliar man looked at him with sharp, dark eyes. " Now listen to me carefully – there isn't much time." It was nearly a hiss. " Get rid of the disk, understood? As fast as possible. And try to avoid situations like this."

He frowned, utterly lost. " Why…? Aren't you here to…?"

Just then he actually jumped when there was a loud sound of an explosion coming from outside. His gaze sweeping towards the window, he gasped when seeing a storm of flames.

_Holy…!_

Deidara's car… It'd…

It took several moments, but eventually he managed to look towards the man again. There was no change in those dark eyes. He swallowed thickly. " Why…?" Nothing more came out.

" It's best for you if you don't know. This… is much too big for you." With that the man turned around, leaving. " Now go and find Sasuke – she should be by the beach. And don't worry about the door – Deidara's always been the master of bluffing." The raven was gone.

For some moments he was paralyzed by confusion, until one razor sharp thought made him gasp into wakefulness.

_Sasuke…!_

_  
_He stormed to motion, barely paying mind to the fact that the man hadn't lied to him – there were no explosives blocking his path.

* * *

Stood outside an old, enormous building that looked quite a bit like a factory, Yuugao found herself frowning with irritation and worry.

Kakashi was taking far too long.

She woke up from her thoughts when hearing Genma's somewhat tight voice. " Do you think we should just make our move?"

She was just about to respond when her cell phone suddenly vibrated. What she found was a brief message from Kakashi.

_Danzo's out of control. Move in while you still can._

She took a deep sigh.

' Takes ridiculous risks at times', had been written in her file long ago. At that moment, Yuugao figured it was about time to work up to that statement.

Her eyes flashed while she motioned with her hand. " C'mon. It looks like we'll have to do this alone, then."

None of the men along questioned her. They quietly infiltrated the building, which had suspiciously little security.

Of course she knew it was dangerous to go solo – especially in such an ominously dark, maze like building – but she couldn't ignore her screaming instincts. In a matter of minutes she'd separated herself from her men. And in one more she heard approaching steps.

At first she pulled out a gun, preparing herself for absolutely anything, but when she spun around the weapon froze in mid air and a loud gasp erupted through her lips. She felt like someone had smacked air right out of her lungs while she watched the very much familiar, albeit battered face. " Hayate…!" She almost made her way to him, until she paused with a frown once noticing the strange look on his face. " What…?" For some reason she couldn't bring herself to speak out the rest.

His eyes flashed dangerously. " You have exactly five minutes to get out of here."

Her chest made strange movements. " Don't you… recognize me?" She swallowed thickly, not knowing how to go on. Her lips, her whole being, felt as though it'd been on fire. _Don't you remember, at all?_

" You are a nuisance, who's currently committing a crime", he announced in a voice that wasn't his. " Don't come anywhere near me again, understood?" The eyes looking into hers weren't those she'd learned to know, those she'd… " Because the next time… I may not be able to hold myself back any longer. Stay away from me." With that he simply walked past her and disappeared like a shadow, slipped far out of her reach.

Once he was gone she remained absolutely still for several moments, feeling so cold and hollow that she was almost sure there was no life left within her.

She didn't wake up until feeling a rough hand on her shoulder. Looking up slowly – hazily – she met Genma's somewhat dark gaze. " We have to go, okay?" The man, apparently, didn't even bother asking if she was all right. " This place is filled with explosives, and they'll all go off in three minutes."

She nodded, blinking again although it did nothing to ease the burning of her eyes. " 'K."

Never, ever, had her steps been as heavy as they were while she rushed on, feeling ache absolutely everywhere in her body.

* * *

Some minutes later Kakashi felt some chills when Danzo swore colorfully after receiving a phone call. " They were too late", the man spat at his demanding look. " Hayate… was out of reach already."

Dark, cold understanding flowed through him. " They stalled because of you."

Danzo turned towards him, and snorted when seeing the look on his face. " What? Would punching me make you feel better about losing your position?"

His blood boiled in a way he didn't recall facing before. " My position isn't important enough to me to make me do something I'd get arrested for", he hissed, his eyes narrowing. " But if Hayate dies because of you, no matter what punishment I'd get for it… I'll kill you." So saying he left, closing the door with devious silence.

* * *

From the moment when he'd sprinted out of Shizune's house, everything had happened dizzyingly fast for Naruto.

He, finding half conscious Sasuke at the beach… The call to ANBU… Vague explanations to Shizune who was horrified to wake up to the chilling events… The police appearing… Sasuke booking a flight for them while taking some painkillers… Sasuke convincing him it'd be all right… Goodbyes to Shizune…

Some hours later Naruto had almost fallen asleep while sitting in a plane, finally feeling safe, until there was a shudder.

His eyes flew slightly wider than usual when he looked towards Sasuke. " What the hell was that about?"

The corners of the raven's mouth twitched while she looked away, seeming rather tired. " Just some turbulence. Nothing life threatening."

He snorted. " Well excuse me for worrying after everything that's happened."  
Sasuke sighed a little, then looked at him with surprisingly solemn eyes. " Naruto, stop worrying. It's going to work out."

He couldn't help chuckling. " And here I thought I was the optimistic one of us."

Sasuke looked away, blinking sluggishly. " Hn."

It was around then he realized. " You're allowed to sleep, you know?" he pointed out. " I doubt those freaks would attack me in a plane, even if they were here. I'm safe."  
Sasuke frowned, her eyes remaining halfway open. " Hmm."

He grinned suddenly, coming up with something. " Let's try a little trick." Before Sasuke could stop him he was massaging the woman's stone hard shoulders. Once meeting a warning, sceptical look he grinned. " Hey, have a little faith, will you? I've been told I'm good at this." He found it safest to leave out who was behind the remark.

Sasuke sighed, facing away and granting him a better hold. " Fine. But if you end up making damage, I'll snap your fingers broken one by one."

He merely rolled his eyes at the threat he knew was most likely empty. After some moments he heard something that made him chuckle. " Are you… purring?"

Sasuke swatted his knee, not facing him most likely to hide a blush. " Shut it."

That only made him chuckle more. " That's cute!"

He heard a very dangerous groan. " I told you to shut it." The woman, however, didn't try to break herself free from his touch.

Several minutes passed by like that, until he suddenly shivered when the raven fell limply against him. After a moment his chest finally calmed down when he managed to convince himself that she'd merely fallen asleep.

Sighing deeply, he pulled her close and drifted into his thoughts, shivering just a little.

He really hoped she'd been right when announcing that things would work out.

He closed his eyes, burying his face into her hair without thinking about it the slightest.

The world was a much scarier place now that he had so much to lose…

* * *

Pein's eyes flashed dangerously that night when Konan delivered him the latest news.

A yet another failure, this time with a casualty.

" What do you want to do?" the woman inquired after waiting for the worst storm to pass.

His knuckles crackled while he balled his fists. Their own couldn't be trusted with this – he'd need to call outside help. " Bring me my cell phone. It's time to get rid of this… problem, once and for all."

-

About an hour later Orochimaru's eyes turned dark and sinister while he red a rather formal letter.

So his trial concerning the murder of that agent – Lee – had been rescheduled. It'd take place in a matter of weeks.

His fist squeezed around the sheet of paper. It bent easily under his will.

His eyes flashed in the darkness of his office.

It appeared he'd have to take harsh measures, then…

He took his phone and dialed numbers.

-

The two, of course, didn't know they contacted the same person. The answer was the same to both of them.

" How much are you willing to pay me to get the job done?"

Two deals were made.

* * *

TBC, no?

* * *

A/N: So the trial is about to start – and I think we all know there'll be quite a bit of bumps on the ride. (sweatdrops) Is it okay to say poor boneheads?

Awkay, because my eyes are getting all crooked for spending too much time on a computer I think I better get going. PLEEEEEEEASE, do leave a review before doing the same – I've got quite a bit of muffins in store for ya guys… (wink, wink)

'Til next update, which'll hopefully appear soon enough! 'Hope you'll all be on board then as well.

Be good!


	9. Sidesteps

REWRITTEN

A/N: Heeh, once again it took time BUT the new chappy is now here. (beams, and wipes sweat from forehead)

Firstly, of course, thank you from the bottom of my heart for those quite incredible reviews you've sent, as well for all those listings! (HUUUGS) You definitely make continuing this ficcy worth it, ya know? Thanks for that! (grins) And, once more extra thank yous to **Serenityofthematrix** for the untiring work of proofreading!

Awkay, with no further rambling, let's get jiggy with it! (grins) I truly hope you'll like this one!

* * *

/ _Two days after finding her home filled with blood and discovering Orochimaru in their living room, young Sasuke was forced to face the second biggest shock in her life so far._

_For the first time since the death of her parents she'd managed to fall into a fitful sleep until she woke up to sounds she couldn't recognize. She lifted herself into a sitting position although she trembled violently and her heart thumped as though it was about to burst. " B – Brother?"_

_There was no response, and very slowly she got out of her bed, making her way to the stairs. By the time she made it all the way downstairs and the doorway of the living room, those strange sounds that'd awakened her had already died away._

_Absolutely everything stopped before her eyes at that moment. Her head swam and she swayed, almost falling down._

_Because what her until then innocent child's eyes saw was her brother, who'd plunged a knife into a man whose face she couldn't see. Her brother was shivering badly and covered in blood, and the stench of the red substance made her stomach turn several times._

_She couldn't understand, her brain simply wouldn't process what she was seeing._

_She was too young and shocked to identify the anguish in Itachi's eyes when the boy finally became aware of her presence and looked straight at her. " Sasuke…" It took a moment before the rest came. " Get the hell out of here, right now."_

_She couldn't – how was she supposed to, when none of her muscles worked?_

_Everything faded to black that didn't vanish until she woke up in a hospital five days later. (She didn't see Itachi until years after that.)_

_A week later she found her way to Orochimaru's office._ /

* * *

/ _Only three months after ending up to Pein's 'camp', Naruto came to realize that he wouldn't leave the place as the child he'd arrived._

_That day, 'to measure his capacity' Pein ordered a practice match for him. Already before entering 'the cage' – as the older kids called the huge metallic structure in a basement floor – he knew to expect trouble. He met such in the form of Dosu, and a gun Kisame shoved roughly into his hand hissing " Do not disappoint us"._

_His eyes were filled with tears while he met the older boy's gaze, shivering like a leaf. " Please…" He knew he was pressing his luck, but he couldn't help himself. " Please, don't make me…"_

_But the other was beyond reason or listening._

_As the boy started to storm towards him – eyes filled with a prey's desperate rage – his muscles worked in a reflex. After all, he was nothing but a scared little child. His hand squeezed the trigger, and before he could even scream the bullet had flown, sending Dosu to the floor._

_Still… Too still…_

_His eyes widened with emotions he simply couldn't control while he shook his head furiously, absolutely refusing to believe what he'd done. " No!" The gun fell from his hands as they started to shake even worse than before. Tears streamed down his cheeks " No, no, no – I didn't…! I didn't mean to, I swear, I didn't…!"_

_He almost cried out with startle when Pein's hand was laid roughly to his quivering shoulder. " Excellent work, Naruto", the man complimented before moving on as though nothing in particular had happened._

_Despite those words of acknowledgement his little heart broke beyond repair in his chest. Because although he wasn't the smartest one around, he understood that things would never be the same again – that _he _would never be the same again. (It was the last night he spent crying, and the first in which he had nightmares. Pein never managed to pressure him into touching a gun again.)_

_None of the other kids dared to speak to him for two weeks after that._ /

* * *

CHAPTER 9: Sidesteps

* * *

Naruto woke up from whatever thoughts he'd been floating in with a gasp when he realized that Sasuke and he were stood before the courthouse.

It was only two weeks before he was supposed to testify against Orochimaru, and he needed to go and see Jiraiya so they could go through the details, to prepare for what was to come. He knew it was necessary, of course, but now, as he stood only steps away…

_No_. He would _not_ do this. Too many unpleasant memories attacked him at one go.

Sasuke obviously noticed his distress, because she stopped and looked at him with a frown. " Now what are you doing?" She paused for a moment. " Are you okay? Because you look ready to hurl or pass out."

He forced a quivering grin. " Y – Yeah, I'm fine. Just… Nerves." His voice, unfortunately, gave him away easily.

" Stop being so nervous." He wondered if the Uchiha noticed how oddly gentle her voice was. " It's gonna be alright."

He emitted a sound of exasperation, finding himself leaning closer to the woman although he knew it might turn out to be a horrible mistake. " What makes you so sure?" He scoffed and pouted when the raven swatted his head gently. " Hey!"

Was that… a smirk? " That's what you get for being an idiot." He wondered if she noticed she grabbed his hand and that he returned the hold before she went. " So… Are you ready to go in now?"

He nodded, feeling so sure all of a sudden that it scared him. " Yeah. Let's just get this crap over with."

* * *

When she finally managed to contact Danzo that day, TenTen couldn't have possibly even imagined the results.

She gasped a little when finally hearing his voice. " What's going on? I've been trying to…"

" _Listen to me carefully._" The man's voice was even gruffer than usual. " _Things… are heating up pretty badly around here. You have to work fast. Gather all the information you have and finish up the mission._"

She nodded, feeling cold and not liking her superior's words the slightest. " I will."

" _And one more thing._" There was a pause. " _That… subject you've told me about… You must kill it – right now. We can't afford letting Orochimaru use it against us._"

_Kill… him…_ Those words struck all breath out of her lungs and she staggered backwards, feeling dizzy. Talking required everything there was in her. " I have to go." With that she broke the connection.

Her legs turned weak, and in the end she had to lean against the wall to keep herself from falling down.

Kimimaro, he… He was a _human being_, one of the kindest souls she'd ever met. How the hell did Danzo expect her to just…?!

At that moment, fate finally decided to be on her side for once. For as she almost screamed under the pressure building up under her ribcage all lights went out, and the building became even darker than usual.

She gasped, understanding.

_A blackout…_

This could be her last opportunity. She didn't waste time.

Kimimaro seemed surprised when she entered his cell, apparently not understanding the look on her face. " Is something wrong?"

Her throat almost too tight for all words, she took out a gun with hands that trembled barely traceably, handing it to him. " Take this, and go. There isn't much time."  
She'd never seen such an amount of pain that appeared to the man's face just then. " Go… where? My life is here. Everything…"

She kneeled down without letting him finish, bringing a hand to his cheek. " Listen to me." It was almost a hiss, made the man shiver just a little. " I've seen many people lose themselves, become nothing but empty shells. I am _not_ going to let that happen to you, do you understand? Whatever Orochimaru says you don't belong here." She caressed his face with her thumb, tossing aside all voices of reason and defying the pain that rose. " I don't want to see you have the fate this place would have in store for you."

He blinked dazedly at her, clearly not understanding. " Why… are you doing this for me?"

She swallowed thickly, bravely defying the stinging in her eyes. _Because I'd make it through whatever Danzo has in store for me, but he'd kill you without mercy. And I'm not about to let that happen. _" Just go. And forget that you were ever here."

Kimimaro hesitated for the longest time – not wanting to leave her behind, or perhaps simply not knowing where to go – but eventually her stern eyes worked their charm, and the white haired turned slowly, disappearing into the hallways.

For at least one full minute she stared at the direction towards which he'd disappeared, until she managed to move enough to wipe her cheek, never noticing that it was moist. Her other hand reached out slowly, taking a needle.

Her eyes flashed with moisture and determination while she decided that she could focus on the dull throbbing that'd appeared out of nowhere later – right now she had far more urgent concerns.

After a moment she managed to contact Danzo once more. " It's been done", was all she announced stiffly.

As soon as the connection was broken once more she lifted the needle, her eyes burning. If she wanted even the slightest chance to make it through this alive, she needed a decent cover up story for Orochimaru…

* * *

In the meantime Naruto was going through what he'd been waiting with dread – going through the upcoming court session with Jiraiya, skimming through the events of _that_ night and almost all his life. Although Sasuke was there it felt excruciating to do such a thing.

" So…" Jiraiya seemed thoughtful when going through what'd been dealt with so far. " You became an orphan at a very young age, and ended up into a orphanage. Later on you started studying psychology, but dropped out and moved to Tokyo in search of a job."

He fought back a bitter chuckle. If only the truth had been that simple and clean… " Yup", he answered almost mechanically. " That's about it."

Jiraiya nodded his head, making notes. The man then looked at him. " I know you hate going through this, but we need to make sure we've got all the details." The man red a little while. " So you left your apartment at seven fifty am, and at around eight pm you were returning home when you saw a murder." A picture was pushed towards him. " Are you sure you saw this man there?"

He managed a near glare although his heart thumped madly and he was shivering when the sounds of gunshots and the agent's – Lee's – final words echoed in his head. " He pointed a fucking gun at me, so trust me, I _do _remember his face." He frowned. " Who is he, anyway?"

He was surprised when Sasuke was the one who replied, a strange look on her face. " Kabuto – one of Orochimaru's lapdogs", she all but hissed.

Jiraiya interrupted whatever questions he'd had in mind with a frown. " What about that… disc? Sasuke told me you have such in your possession and it may be important." Seeing his expression the man went on. " Don't worry, you're not accused of anything. Normally I wouldn't encourage a witness to hide evidence, but somehow I've got a feeling that this one is best to be kept in the shadows. So is it safe?"

He nodded first slowly, then almost vigorously. " Yup. I mean, yeah, it is. I haven't taken a look at it."

Jiraiya's shoulders relaxed, and he honestly thought he was off the hook before the man spoke. " I'm asking this for the final time, because this may turn out crucial during the trial." The white haired's eyes were harder than he remembered ever seeing them. " Is there something you're not telling me? Because when you take the oath and go before those sharks of Orochimaru, you can't afford having secrets."

" No", he all but breathed out, using all his willpower to be able to look at the man in his eyes. " There's… nothing else." _What now a whole life…_

Jiraiya nodded once more, and he refused to see the disappointment in the man's eyes. " Good, then." He was granted a swift glance. " Breathe. I don't want you to pass out in my office."

He barely managed to grin.

He gasped when all but feeling Sasuke's hand hovering above his, offering silent support. His own hand already moved, but never managed to grab before there was a knock and Kakashi's head popped into the room. " 'You done?"

_No_, Naruto groaned mentally, quickly yet unwillingly pulling his hand away from Sasuke.

" Yup", Jiraiya announced, writing a couple of more lines before looking at him. " And yes, that means you can leave – I'm surprised your leg hasn't burned a hole to the floor yet."  
He fought back a blush. Was the twitching of his right leg really _that_ obvious?

" Kakashi." Sasuke's voice – as well as the way it sounded – caught him by surprise. The woman's face seemed tighter than normal. " Could you… take Naruto to ANBU for a little while? There's something I want to do."

Kakashi nodded, appearing between confused and knowing. " Sure."

He, on the other hand, frowned with displeasure, not liking those words at all. " Can't I come along?" For some reason he wouldn't have wanted to let the raven handle whatever was to come all alone.

Sasuke growled through her teeth. " No. This is something I need to do alone. Just go, will you?"

Unwilling to do so he approached the room's door slowly, as though wishing Sasuke would change her mind after all. Once by the door he turned his gaze towards her once more, but never got the words out.

He jumped when feeling a hand on his shoulder until finding that the touch was Kakashi's. " C'mon, let's go. There's someone I think you might want to see at the base…"

-

As soon as she could be sure Naruto was safely away, Sasuke returned her attention to Jiraiya, although a huge part of her fought against the decision.

The man seemed, to say the least, surprised. " What is it? Is something wrong with Naruto?"

She shook her head, gritting her teeth. She'd come too far to back down now, she reminded herself, that thought being her soul driving force. " I've… been meaning to talk to you for a long time now", she announced, her voice tighter than a violin's strings.

One of Jiraiya's eyebrows bounced up. " Does it have something to do with the case?"

She nodded, taking in a deep breath. " I haven't been entirely honest." By then her voice carried a tiny bit of its usual harshness. " Naruto isn't the only witness."

* * *

Hayate – which was the name Orochimaru called his – found the sight before him extremely depressing while standing by a window in the snake eyed man's base building, his mind running a million miles per hour.

Hard as he'd tried, he couldn't get that purple haired woman he'd seen some days ago out of his mind. Even after everything Orochimaru had told him about this… ANBU to which she belonged he was powerless against what something inside tried to tell him. Her voice always surpassed all other sounds.

/ _" Don't you… recognize me?"_ /

He emitted a growl and raised his fist to slam it straight against the window glass from which he could see a reflection of his face, but in the end changed his mind, instead leaned his head against the cool glass with sharp coughs. His still balled fists trembled pathetically.

Since waking up to find Orochimaru he'd tried to convince himself that he belonged here, in the man's troupes.

His heart, however, seemed to be far more stubborn than he'd thought.

Giving a deep sigh, then coughing, he forced himself to move.

He'd have to train, hard, and then he'd need to ask for one more of those injections from Orochimaru although they repulsed him.

Because he was bound to meet _her_ again. And he couldn't afford it hurting as much as it did the previous time around.

-

He, of course, didn't know that Orochimaru observed him from above. The man's eyes gleamed chillingly.

So his newest subject was growing restless. That was to be expected – his… form of treatment wasn't fully affective against someone with a will that strong. He'd just need to make sure he'd have the problem well under control…

" Orochimaru-sama." Turning his gaze, he met Kabuto's somewhat tense face. " There's someone you should come and see."

* * *

In ANBU's base, Yuugao gasped with slightly widened eyes while waking up from a dream she hadn't realized falling into. " Hayate…", she murmured barely audibly before realizing that the words were coming.

In a moment her eyes darkened as reality crashed down on her once more, and she closed her eyes while tightening her hold on a key chain Hayate had once given her.

/ _" Your keys seem to be lost constantly. Maybe this helps."_ /

" Yuugao." Kakashi's voice forced her back into present. Focusing herself to focus just a little bit, she turned towards the man. " 'You alright?"

_No._ She, however, nodded. " I just… didn't sleep well last night."

The silver haired nodded, seeming to understand perfectly – it was around then she realized that the same fatigue she was feeling could be seen from his face. It took a moment before he spoke. " Could you keep an eye on Danzo for a while? I'm going to check up on Naruto."

She nodded, wanting to ask but ending up deciding against it. " Sure."

Kakashi gave her a somewhat grateful look, then turned around and left. Just before out of earshot he spoke once more. " We'll get him back, you know? Just hold on a little longer."

She sighed, closing her eyes.

She really hoped he was right, because…

She tightened her hold on the key chain.

Honestly, she didn't know how much more of this she could take.

* * *

By the time he'd spent one hour in ANBU's base, Naruto was sure he'd go completely out of his mind if Sasuke wouldn't appear soon. Such intensity of emotions startled him – open as he was with his feelings, he hadn't grown used to such a flow.

He started to bite his fingernails without noticing it, narrowing his eyes at the clock that seemed to be mocking him while hanging on the wall.

_What the hell is taking this long?_

" Biting your nails is a nasty habit, you know?" The familiar voice he hadn't heard in a long time made him gasp faintly. Turning his gaze, he found himself grinning when spotting Kiba. The brunette was looking at him with a knowing expression. " So it's gotten that bad, huh?"

He winced, immediately knowing what – or rather _who_ – his friend was referring to. " _Please_ don't make me talk about it. I'm already getting a headache."

Kiba shook his head, also flopping onto the couch he was occupying. " Nah, 'don't think so. I'm having too much fun right now. You two are the best entertainment I've had in years – or heck, all my life."

He gave his friend a dry look, fighting to urge to swat the brown locks. " You enjoy seeing me in pain, don't you?"

Kiba shrugged, not appearing the slightest bit guilty. " Maybe, just a little bit." The brunette's eyes then softened a little. " Because if you look that happy when getting a headache, I think it's worth a little bit of pain."

He couldn't help laughing at that, despite the way his heart jumped out of rhythm.

-

Neither of them could see Kakashi, who was observing them through a window that looked like a mirror to them.

There'd been a lot of crap in Sasuke's life, he knew. But maybe now there was finally hope of a better time starting…

A sly look appeared to his face.

Maybe giving the Uchiha this mission hadn't been a bad idea, after all.

* * *

After her what'd felt endless meeting with Jiraiya, Sasuke found herself on a bench in a park where Itachi took her almost every day when they were kids. She had no idea what drove her there, but for some reason she felt almost safe while her eyes rested on the familiar landscape.

The world around her almost felt like a safe place again.

" So here you are." Sakura's voice surprised her so that jolts went down her spine. The pinkette took a seat next to her. " You do know that it's almost evening, right?"

Choosing to rather not think about that fact, she narrowed her eyes, refusing to look at her best friend. " Kakashi sent you, didn't he?"

" He was getting worried." The voice was soft, though not enough so to make her feel uncomfortable. " And so was Naruto – we had hard time convincing him not to follow me. We figured it was the best I come to see you alone."

She made a sound of irritation, her eyebrow twitching. " So you talk about me behind my back now?"

Sakura chuckled a little. " Only when it's necessary for the sake of your mental health." The woman mused for a moment. " I… know what you did today. I must've taken a lot."

A lesser soul might've shown the amount of stun that filled her, but she managed to keep her expression rather blank, despite the blaze bubbling under her skin. It took several moments before she'd finally gathered enough wits to speak. " So… How new is this thing between you and Sai?"

Ah, even without looking she could just see the blush that rose to the pinkette's face while the woman swatted her head gently. " Hey, don't try to change the subject, ass!"

She groaned. " You're starting to sound like Naruto."

The other laughed. " You should trust him, Sasuke." She could feel Sakura's eyes on her while the pinkette spoke, but she didn't meet the gaze. " He really cares about you – he may even be _falling_ for you. You've gotta stop hiding stuff – for the sake of your sanity."

She sighed inwardly, feeling very tired all of a sudden. " Hn."

Comfortable silence lingered while they sat there, watching kids playing and laughing nearby.

-

They never knew that Itachi stood so close that they could've easily seen him if they'd turned their gazes.

The man's eyes were somewhat dark while he turned around and walked away slowly after a moment.

* * *

About two hours later – with Sasuke finally having collected Naruto from ANBU's base – the two made their way into their newest safe house, gladly escaping from the all but torrential rainfall that raged outside.

From the moment he'd seen her Naruto had a feeling that something was wrong. Sasuke seemed unnaturally stiff, as well as thoughtful. The final sign of confirmation he'd needed was the fact that she barely talked while they walked towards their new home, although he used every trick in the book to aggravate her.

In the end Naruto decided that it was the best to just grab the bull by its horns. " You've been quiet", he pointed out, his voice remarkably casual, while they entered what was now the raven's room.

Sasuke snorted. " I never talk much."

His left eyebrow twitched. " You know damn well what I meant."

" Hn." Apparently there wouldn't be a response. In the end the woman looked towards him with some irritation. " If you're about to keep following me like a damn shadow, would you at least turn around so I can get changed?"

He rolled his eyes, his chest moving in a way he didn't understand. " Whatever", he muttered while turning around.

As soon as Sasuke was convinced he wouldn't look there were whispers of fabric.

He'd always been curious. Perhaps that was why he found himself unable to follow the woman's strict command. Slowly, almost carefully, he peered over his shoulder – and found his eyes widening at what he met.

Scars on the raven's body… So many of them – apparently left by flames, cigarettes, blades, and one even looked like it'd been caused a bullet.

_Shit…_

Just as he was about to look away once more Sasuke turned around, most likely sensing his gaze. Their eyes met, and for just a second he met something close to fear in the raven's onyx orbs before they narrowed at him, all the woman's defence mechanisms kicking on. " I told you to look away, didn't I?"

He swallowed thickly. His body was no longer under his control while he turned around fully and started to approach the Uchiha, slowly as he would a deranged animal. " I… I didn't know."

" That's because I didn't tell you", Sasuke apparently attempted to snarl, although it came out as a wounded wild animal's desperate cry. For a moment she seemed ready to cover herself, but apparently changed her mind. " This is none of your business, idiot."

He scoffed and grit his teeth, fighting back the urge to simply smack Sasuke's head. " Give me that lame 'nothing but a client' speech and I swear…" He left the rest hanging on purpose.

As their burning eyes clashed together something seemed to take over. At that moment he lost all control over himself.

-

To Sasuke, it felt like everything had happened a little bit too fast for her to be able to catch on.

She shuddered with discomfort when Naruto ran a hand down the numerous scars on her bare form. " Dobe, stop it."

Blue eyes held a strange gleam when finding hers. " Why?" Very cautiously, he brushed one of the marks softly with his lips. " I think they're beautiful."

Thunder slashed inside and out as their eyes met.

Very slowly Naruto moved his hand once more, this time touching the most painful one of her scars – the one she'd gotten when losing her baby. Blue eyes met hers, as though searching – obviously the man had noticed her discomfort. " This still hurts, huh?"

Her eyes narrowed at him. " You'd never understand."

" Let me try", he whispered into her ear, huskily and so sincerely that it sent her head spinning.

And she couldn't do anything but obey, no matter how much a part of her hated it.

The tiniest of shivers escaped her when Naruto first trailed kisses down her scars – as though trying to heal them somehow – then moved upwards, to her neck and eventually her lips. With someone else it might've scared her how easily she granted him an entrance to her mouth and all of her. The blond, of course, took the opportunity gladly, all but attacking her with such vigour that left her embarrassingly breathless, almost made her shiver.

Her mind swam in some sort of a gray, comforting hue while heat took them over.

She was being an idiot, doing something she was without a doubt going to regret dearly later on. But there was absolutely nothing she could do to stop her body from performing functions that felt as natural and necessary as breathing.

It felt like something long ago broken had been fixed in both of them while they melted into one, finally giving into urges that'd been bubbling towards the surface for a long time.

* * *

Once entering his office, Orochimaru discovered that Kabuto had brought him to see a visitor. The stranger's face was hidden by shadows, but he could see and smell the smoke left by a cigarette. " You're late", he commented, taking a seat.

" I had some… important duties to take care of."

He emitted a 'Hn', not all that interested. " So… What business brings you here?"

The cigarette was dumped. Apparently this was something that required the arrival's full attention. " Remember the little… deal we made? I'm suggesting changes, for something new just came up."

His eyebrow arched. " What would that be?"

" There's a new witness." The other's voice was close to toneless, but something told him that his companion was far from sure about this. " If you want me to clean up that problem as well, I'll need a much bigger reward. This mission isn't average anymore."

He leaned closer with burning eyes. " Are you going to tell me who this witness is?"

" No." That was blunt enough. Another cigarette was lit. " I think that little piece of information will work nicely as my life insurance."

He was genuinely impressed. " That may be a smart move. But do tell me…" He glanced towards the shadows, evaluating the lines of a body he could scarcely see. " Why are you doing this? What has ANBU done to you?"

There was a moment's sharp silence. " I… lost something valuable." There was a long inhale, then a puff-like exhale. " And I'm not one to take unpaid depths lightly."

He was mildly interested. " You do know that they're going to kill you when they find out, no?"

" Of course. But life is overrated – so long as I get this task done I can easily die in peace."

He leaned back once more and folded his arms, an icy smile forming. He was starting to like this associate. " How much more do you want, then?"

* * *

TBC, if you wish

* * *

A/N: Oh boy, and the heat rises. (faints) As do troubles. (winces) Wonder how our favorite bonehead duo's gonna make it through this one…?

Awkay, because techically I should be off the computer already, I better go. (grins sheepishly) **PLEASE**, do a review before tuning off as well – aww, you know how much I love hearing from ya guys!

'Til next time, everyone – 'hope I'll see a lot of familiar faces then! (grins) **Only five chappies to go**, btw, counting in the epilogue. (sweatdrops, then starts bawling) 'Can't believe this is THAT close to ending!

Take care!


	10. Direct Hits

REWRITTEN

A/N: Dang, have I taken long AGAIN. (winces) But now, FINALLY, there's another chappy incoming. (cheers)

First off, thank you so much for those wonderful reviews! (HUGS) It's thanks to them this chappy saw daylight, ya know? (wink, wink) And naturally HUGE special thank yous to my unbelievable proofreader **Serenityofthematrix** for the awesome work!

Awkay, because you'll probably start throwing things if I don't cut the wait soon… Let's rock! (rubs hands together) I REALLY hope you'll have a good time with this one, un.

* * *

/ _A seven-years-old Sasuke didn't have the slightest clue of what was happening while she slumped to the cold ground, absolutely all strength leaving her small, thin body and tears rolling painfully over the deep cuts on her cheeks. Her tiny fists balled and she grit her teeth as a voice she would've much rather forgotten resounded in her ears._

" You are weak and pathetic, Sasuke – worthless. What on earth would I do with subordinates like that?"

_She'd go back, she declared to herself. And that day she'd show him exactly how much she was worth._

_Slowly, however – as minutes turned to hours and she couldn't bring herself to move – she wondered if she'd even see the next dawn. Blood kept escaping from her multiple wounds, and although she was only a child in a lot of pain she knew the amount of crimson underneath her was far too much._

_Just as she thought all hope was lost, however, whom she considered an angel appeared to her. She figured she gasped a little when a man with brown hair and gentle eyes of the same color kneeled before her. " Hey, are you alright?"_

_Although a part of her tried to message that she should've fought, escaped, when the man finally picked her up she relaxed to the surprisingly comfortable touch._

_Because this was her second chance, and she knew she wouldn't be getting a third one._

_That day her journey towards something very dark and sinister began._ /

* * *

/ _Eighteen-years-old Naruto was trembling more violently than ever in his life while he sat under the stern, all but merciless eyes of Danzo, who kept glancing constantly towards him while going through his file. " So, Namikaze…" The man snapped his file closed so loudly that he jumped. " Do you have any clue how huge trouble you are in right now?"_

_He nodded stiffly, his throat so tight that he feared he'd suffocate. " Y – Yeah."_

" _Good. Now…" The man leaned closer. " You've screwed up loyally – enough so to make me consider sending you to prison for the rest of your life. You can avoid that, if you agree to… do a little favor for me." Those chilling eyes gleamed when looking into his. " Do we have a deal?"_

_Once more he nodded, this time eagerly, unable to even imagine what would be ahead of him soon._

_Because this was his second chance, and he knew he wouldn't be getting a third one._

_That day he became Naruto Uzumaki._ /

* * *

CHAPTER 10: Direct Hits

* * *

The new, actually rather homey safe house he'd moved into with Sasuke and Kiba only days earlier was almost eerily quiet when Naruto's eyes opened and he blinked, feeling confused after the much too realistic dream he'd just had.

His chest formed a tight, painful ball while his eyes locked to an alarm clock placed nearby. Only fifty hours and thirty six minutes to when he'd have to testify against Orochimaru.

Emitting a groan and shivering, he shifted around – only to notice that the other side of the bed was empty. For just a moment something close to terror flashed inside him, until he heard a tiny, distant sound that comforted him for some reason. Making barely any noise he got out of the bed and started to saunter towards the kitchen, following a beam of light. He couldn't help smiling a little at what he found.

There, right before his eyes, the 'tough and invincible super agent' Sasuke was sitting at a table with a mug of warmed up milk, looking out the window deep in thought and humming softly, probably not noticing it.

Adorable, was the only descriptive word that came to his mind.

" Exactly how long are you planning to stand there staring?" Sasuke's soft, amused tone indicated just how much had changed in only a few short days.

He grinned radiantly and walked up to the raven, giving her lips a heated kiss. It felt good to discover that the woman had finally stopped fighting to keep their relationship purely professional. " I had a nice view to look at, you know?" He then grew slightly more solemn, searching through her eyes. " Now what's up? I thought you'd already gotten over insomnia."

She looked away, her gaze darkening. " Hn."

And with that he understood. That was the closest to showing worry she could get. _Nightmares…_ " Hey, Sasuke." He wrapped his arms around the woman, forcing her to look at him. " Everything's gonna be okay, you know?" He kissed the woman, nibbled her lower lip playfully, and was pleased to notice her joining the game. " So stop worrying so much."

She arched an eyebrow and put away the mug, her eyes flashing in a way he could only call suggestive. " What are you planning to do to convince me?"

-

When half asleep Kiba almost entered the kitchen ten minutes later to get a glass of water, his eyes popped wide at the sight he met.

Clothes all over the floor, naked skin, moans and whispers…

He backed away, fighting to keep himself from gagging, and decided that he'd rather die of thirst than witness any more of _this_.

* * *

Once he left Orochimaru's base, Kimimaro had found himself filled with terror. For so many years that place had been his whole life, everything he'd believed in and absolutely all he'd had. And now he'd been thrown into the unknown.

Yet he didn't feel terrified only for himself, although staying in the shadows and avoiding people was nerve wrecking. TenTen… She'd risked her life, her everything, because of him. And soon he came to realize that he'd have to do something to help her, or he wouldn't be able to live with himself. That's why he finally stumbled into the about last place he could've imagined approaching.

As he barged through the doors of ANBU's base that early morning, at least thirty weapons were immediately darted towards him, making his heart hammer with sheer terror.

He'd never liked people all that much, and this situation was well enough to make him regret his decision of coming.

The male voice he soon heard did nothing to make him more convinced that he wasn't out of his mind. " What do you have there?" Turning his gaze, he met a rather old man who was looking at him with clearly apparent disgust.

" An intruder, Danzo", a female voice announced. Those words, apparently, came from a pink haired young woman, who was currently looking at him with a frown. " Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

At that moment – realizing that this was most likely his only chance to make things right – he braced himself and spoke, focusing on the woman's green eyes instead of all the weapons and that old man he considered chilling. " TenTen… She's in a trouble. You're the only ones who can help." She was working for Orochimaru – which made her the enemy of everyone in this building – but these people were nonetheless his only hope. (1)

He was mildly confused by the way the pinkette's eyes widened with shock.

" Take him into custody", the man – Danzo – ordered, so harshly that the hair in the back of his neck rose. " Something tells me we'll have a lot of fun with this one…"

* * *

Although she'd even been married to Suigetsu for a while and she'd had her fair share of lovers to share her bed, Sasuke was far from used to waking up with someone, let alone a client. That's why she blinked a little as she found herself waking up from a nap rather late that evening, and discovered that she was sitting in Naruto's lap, with the man's arms wrapped around her.

" You two fell asleep in the middle of the movie", Kiba, who was sitting on the opposite end of the couch, announced with a deeply amused expression. " You looked so cute that I didn't have the heart to wake you up."

Not sure how to feel about those words she first rubbed her face with one hand, then tried to pry the blond holding her into letting go without waking up. " Hn." Sure enough this embrace felt good to her, but that didn't make the situation any less confusing and uncomfortable.

Of course with her luck Naruto woke up to her motions. He frowned when realizing what she was doing. " 'u going?"

Surprisingly enough her expression and voice didn't give the turmoil inside away. " To get some water." Unable to stop herself she brushed his hair a little. " Go back to sleep."

Naruto shook his head, then stretched and yawned adorably. " Nah, I'm already awake, anyway. Besides, I've been sleeping too much." He looked at her for a moment, then frowned. " What's wrong? Your left eye's twitching."

She blinked uncharacteristically, wondering when the heck he'd learned to memorize _that_. " It's okay." Figuring that some further confirmation was needed she went on. " It's just… all in my head." That was the closest her pride allowed her to get to admitting she was confused, scared out of her mind and sure as hell not ready for talks of any sort.

The tiny smile that appeared to Naruto's face revealed he understood. Slowly, most likely not wanting to confuse her even further with moving too fast, he pushed himself upwards and kissed her gently. " 's okay", he murmured to her lips, resting his forehead against hers for just a second. " Take all the time you need, 'k? I mean, with the water."

At that she just had to smile.

For a dobe Naruto could be unbelievably understanding sometimes.

She couldn't help wondering if she would've allowed the situation to roll any further if the apartment's doorbell hadn't rang just then. She felt ready to growl a little, but grinned instead when seeing Naruto's nervous expression. " It's just Suigetsu, so relax. He was supposed to show up as backup today, remember?" With that she got up and walked up to open, paying no attention to the fact that her hand lingered on the man's as long as possible.

Sure enough, she found Suigetsu behind the door as soon as she opened. Her expression grew sour. " You're late."

He shrugged. " Only one hour." He stepped in, then came to think of something and handed her a bottle of water. " You mentioned being thirsty when you called, remember?"

Feeling mildly surprised by the fact that he'd actually remembered she accepted the offering, nodded and took a long gulp. " Thanks."

He shrugged, watching as she drank some more. It took moments before he spoke again, glancing swiftly towards Naruto. " So… I sense things are heating up nicely?"

She arched an eyebrow at him. " So what if they are?" Pieces then slid together and she shivered. " Don't tell you're down that road again. We've dealt this crap through already, remember?"

He shrugged once more, something strange flashing by his eyes. " I know. But you've gotta admit that those memories are pretty tempting sometimes. We had good times, too, remember?"

She rolled her eyes, focusing on the water once more.

-

Naruto was surprised to find a dark feeling seeping into his chest and stomach as he watched the ex-couple interact, exchange words he couldn't hear. He'd never been one prone to jealousy, but couldn't deny the surge inside him was dangerously close to that.

Kiba didn't make the situation any easier with pushing him forcefully, obviously ushering him to move. " What the heck are you doing? Go over there already!"

And before he even thought about it he'd walked up to Sasuke and wrapped his arms rather possessively around her waistline. To seal the impression Suigetsu was examining with keen eyes he all but bit the raven's neck.

Sasuke shivered with what he detected as pleasure, then gave him an inquisitive look. " What the heck are you doing?"

He shrugged, smiling as innocently as he possibly could. " Meh, just enjoying myself a little", he announced as though it'd been the simplest thing in the entire world.

Sasuke's eyebrow arched as she caught on. " I see."

He wasn't sure what he was about to do before he got interrupted by Suigetsu's voice. " Oh yeah, I actually had a message." The man's eyes seemed solemn. " Jiraiya called me, just before I came. He wants to see you both – apparently something new has come up with the case."

Sasuke frowned. " Are you sure it's a good idea to take Naruto out of the house?"

Suigetsu snorted, appearing throughout amused. " Oh c'mon, have a little faith. He's going with the two of us. How much danger could he possibly get in to?"

Naruto nodded eagerly, seeing a precious chance of getting out of the house appearing. " Yeah." He grinned. " I've got the two of you. Besides, we've gotta go and find out what Jiraiya wants. I'll be just fine."

Sasuke seemed far from fully trusting, but nodded stiffly anyway. " Alright."

" Are you going out?" Kiba's half asleep voice inquired.

" Yeah. Why?"

Kiba went back to resting on a couch and scratching his dog's, Akamaru's, fur. " Be good while I'm not keeping an eye on you."

He snorted. " Pervert." With that he took Sasuke's hand, the gesture so natural that he barely even noticed it. " C'mon, let's go before he comes up with anything more filthy."

Kiba rolled his eyes and folded his arms, muttering something like ' Very mature…' " Just come back soon, will you?"

Naruto fought the urge to laugh. " We will, don't worry." He then pulled Sasuke to motion, pleased to notice that the woman obligated without a complaint, and waved at Kiba. " You, behave while we're away."

Kiba all but glared. " See you later."

Suigetsu followed without much of a sound.

-

There was a frown on Sasuke's face while she followed Naruto out of the apartment, something close to queasiness building up in her stomach.

Something was wrong.

She woke from her thoughts when feeling Naruto poke her cheek gently. " Hey, I know that face." He looked at her with suspicion. " What's up?"

She shook her head because, in all honesty, she had no idea. " I just… felt a bit dizzy." Without noticing it she pulled Naruto just a little bit closer, sensing what felt like a threat. " Now let's move it."

* * *

Hayate had a feeling that he was stepping directly into a trap of some sort when he entered the tiny alleyway, his eyes darting around.

Fooling Orochimaru into letting him out like this had been hard. He hoped dearly he hadn't made a huge mistake.

" You're late."

Turning his gaze, he saw the purple haired woman who'd all but begged him to remember the last time they'd met. And suddenly it was very hard to maintain his cold façade. " I had some… trouble getting out." He folded his arms and frowned. " What the hell are we doing here? Didn't I make my point clear the last time around?"

She nodded somewhat stiffly, her eyes flashing. " Yeah, you did. And you also didn't give me a chance to state _my_ point of view." She approached, no fear in her eyes although she must've known he was carrying a weapon. " If you want to know who you really are, you should listen to me."

His frown deepened. " Why should I trust you?"

Her gaze hardened. " Because you are Gekkou Hayate. You are one of the best men and agents I've ever met, the most kind hearted person who ever crossed my path. And I'm not about to stand back and watch how someone like Orochimaru swallows you whole and spits you into his own, personal hell."

By then she was stood so close that he felt uncomfortable. " I have no reason to believe you."

Her eyes flashed with something that looked like sadness. " I know. And in all honesty, I never expected you to." With those words something extremely sharp hit his neck, making him feel light headed in a matter of seconds.

He gasped faintly, looking into her eyes that showed half a dozen emotions he couldn't read. " What…?!" he choked out while the image of her face started to blur right before his eyes. _What the hell did you do to me?_

" Did you really think I was going to give up just like that?"

-

Yuugao closed her eyes while she felt Hayate fight against falling asleep in her embrace, using all her willpower into keeping tears at bay.

She was doing the right thing, she reminded herself. This was the only way there was to get Hayate back, to pull him out of that darkness.

" It's alright", she murmured although he'd already fallen limp, darting the words more to herself than him. Her hold on him tightened, became protective, while one tear slipped. " It's alright… Everything's going to work out, trust me."

" Is it done?" Genma's voice managed to startle her. Turning her gaze, she met the man's eyes full of what looked like worry. " Is he…?"

She nodded sharply. " Let's take him home."

They'd done what they could. Now she could only wish it hadn't been too late.

* * *

Meanwhile in ANBU's base Kakashi knew to expect trouble when Danzo appeared to him with a stormy expression. " Hatake, what have I told you about unauthorized missions?" the older man snarled, eyes narrowing viciously.

His eyes grew hard as he understood exactly what this was about. " Hayate is one of ANBU's best agents", he quipped. " You may not give a damn about him, but I wasn't about to let him rot away in Orochimaru's hands when I finally got the chance to help set him free."

" You endangered the lives of two excellent agents!" Danzo snarled, his fists balling so that he was surprised the man didn't use them. " Not to even mention how idiotic of a move it was to contact Hayate. What if your attempts had been discovered? Orochimaru would've undoubtedly taken that opportunity to charge against us."

" I was well aware of the risks", he snarled. " And I found the benefits much greater."

" That was your last stupid move", Danzo announced after a couple of moment's still, hard silence, and folded his arms. " I won't tolerate subordinates who defy every single one of my rules. As from today both you and Yuugao are suspended until further notice. Understood?"

He was just about to argue back when Sakura appeared to them with an expression that immediately alarmed him. He frowned. " What's wrong? Did you manage to contact TenTen?"

He felt a pang when she shook her head, then a shiver of dread when he saw her swallow. " Sai just contacted me", she announced in an unnaturally tight tone. " He's been keeping an eye on Orochimaru, and lately there's been suspicious movement. Something's badly wrong."

* * *

In Orochimaru's base, Kabuto brought his hand to a device placed behind his left ear. " _It's go time._"

Without saying a word he cut the connection, prepared his gun and left.

* * *

While walking towards the courthouse and working her hardest to keep an eye on their surroundings, Sasuke kept wondering what the undeniable feeling of something being wrong nagging in the back of her head was all about. In many occasions she was almost sure she felt someone watching them, but as she glanced around she saw no one.

What the heck could possibly be wrong, anyway? This was just a quick visit to the courthouse, which was located only two blocks from the safe house, and she had Suigetsu as her aid. Everything was _supposed to be_ fine.

" Sasuke, what the heck is going on?" There was clearly distinguishable worry in Naruto's tone, and she wished she could've appeared reassuring. " You're acting even more paranoid than usual."

Her eyebrows furrowed, and without noticing it she tightened her hold on Naruto's hand and took a protective step closer to him. " I'm… not sure. This is just a feeling." Just then a wave of dizziness washed over her, and she blinked once while swaying slightly.

Naruto, of course, noticed this and pulled her to a stop. " Hey, what's going on? You just went all pale."

Suigetsu also seemed worried. " Are you feeling sick?"

She frowned, her head spinning uncomfortably, and leaned her hand against Naruto for support. She gasped faintly, feeling much too familiar, uncomfortable squirming in her stomach. And at that moment she understood exactly what was going on.

That scent of eucalyptus and oil that wouldn't leave her alone… She'd been…

_Shit…!_

" Sasuke?" Naruto's face and eyes radiated utter worry. " What's wrong?"

She looked at him as sternly as she possibly could, hoping from the bottom of her heart that he wouldn't be an idiot to start out a fight. " Get as far away from here as you can, okay?" Because things were about to get very, very ugly – that much she knew, although she could barely think. She then looked towards Suigetsu. " Take him to the safe house, _now_."

Suigetsu gave her a deep frown that obviously demanded answers.

Naruto frowned as well, obviously not liking her words. " Why? Sasuke, what the hell's going on?"

As from that second everything happened so fast that her dizzy head couldn't keep up with it all. There was a gunshot – so deviously silent and unexpected that she simply couldn't see it before it was much too late.

Her eyes widened a fraction.

-

Naruto's heart hammered as he – despite the fact that the shooter was probably using a silencer – heard the shot much too well. There was an extremely soft sound he couldn't recognize, after which time stood absolutely still, waiting and holdings its breath.

Then – so suddenly he just had to cry out – Sasuke's legs gave way, and she slumped backwards against him. Despite his state of shock he managed to catch her, right before she would've been out of his reach. " Sasuke…!" he managed while falling to his knees to the street, with the raven held securely in his arms.

Suigetsu also knelt beside them, obviously trying to keep an eye on their surroundings and appearing as close to frantic as he possibly could. " What the hell happened?!"

Frantically his blue eyes examined her dark outfit, desperately trying to look for the wound. And sure enough, soon he spotted a dark stain growing somewhere between the woman's chest and stomach. Suddenly he wished he would've listened better during anatomy lessons, so he would've known how severe the damage was.

" Naruto." Although Sasuke's voice was harsh her face looked terrifyingly pale, gave everything away. " Stop gawking and run, understood?"

He shook his head frantically, remained exactly where he was. Of course he knew that the shooter was out there, most likely approaching, but he wasn't about to run, not this time. " Do you seriously think I'd go without you?" His voice sounded pathetically choked, nearly desperate. He blinked furiously when his gaze blurred all of a sudden, never noticing that he trembled violently. " Can… Can you get up? We need to go."

Sasuke gave him a look of disbelief before breaking into dangerously wet coughs. " R – Run, you dam i– idiot…", she snarled between the coughs. " He… He's…"

He barely even heard, because all the attention of his terrified mind was locked to the strands of blood he could see nearby Sasuke's mouth. A doctor or not, he realized that was _not _a good sign. There was no time to waste.

He swallowed thickly, but the lump in his throat didn't disappear. " S – Sasuke, c'mon…" He thought about moving her, only to understand that he didn't dare to do a thing. What if he'd make even more damage? " Please…"

Sasuke seemed to take a deep breath before refocusing on him, her eyes already much hazier than before – dangerously so. " Run."

Suigetsu rested a slightly trembling hand to his shoulder. " Let's go, right now."

He didn't budge from where he was. And just then steps were heard, accompanied by a voice he knew much too well. " Well, well… Why do I have a feeling that we've met like this before?"

He turned his flaming, teary gaze, placing himself protectively above Sasuke, to meet Kabuto's smug, amused face. " You… asshole…", he snarled in a choked tone. " You… You…!"

A gun that shone like silver in moonlight was lifted. " Sorry about this. This is nothing personal." The man's gaze then moved to somewhere behind him. Then, to his shock, those eyes moved towards Suigetsu. " Now stop glaring at me and take care of him like you were supposed to, will you – you want your reward, right? We can fight about this later."

And before he could do as much as _think_, he cried out when something sharp hit his neck. Soon enough his head started to grow hazy, and his vision dimmed in a terrifying speed.

The last thing he saw before darkness came was Sasuke's eyelids slipping all the way closed, and her hand falling from the weapon she'd tried to pull.

His tears fell to her face as he fell limply into darkness, unaware of the fact that Kabuto's unreliable arms caught him.

_Sasuke…!_

-

Quite understandably none of them knew about the two figures stood on a nearby roof, observing them.

Hidan's eyes flashed while he watched Naruto get dragged away. " Shit. They got to him before we did." The man then glanced towards Itachi, who was stood beside him with an unreadable expression. He couldn't help wondering what was going on in the man's head.

" Go", Itachi ordered in a tone that almost managed to fool him. " I'll follow you in a minute."

He darted a suspicious glance towards the Uchiha. " If you promise you won't do anything idiotic", he announced.

Itachi's look was all the response he needed. Without saying a word he turned around and started to walk away.

He didn't know what the Uchiha had in mind, but he did know that there was hell to pay.

* * *

TBC??

* * *

1) Kimimaro still thinks TenTen's one of Orochimaru's employees, remember? After all, she is/was a spy.

* * *

A/N: Uh oh… (sweatdrops) And here I did it again. (winces)

So… Whadda ya guys say – do you want to see more of this story, or is it 'bye time'? It's your call, un. (nod, nod)

Heeh, especially with that ending I think it's time for me to tune out. (grins sheepishly – and RUNS)

Bye for now, folks!

Be good!


	11. The Final Chase Begins

**I've done some rewriting before I updated. Some Naruto and Sasuke –scenes have been altered in almost every single past chapter. I think it'd be a great idea to take a look at them, un. (grins)**

A/N: Awww, man! (winces) It's taken months, hasn't it? I'm so sorry! There's been… well, quite a bit of all sorts of things, so I ended up totally neglecting this story. I'm so sorry! (winces) But now, there's FINALLY a new update! Yay! (beams)

BUT, before letting you get to the chapter… Enormous thank yous for those reviews! This story would've never went on without you, you know? (HUGS) THANK YOU!

Awkay, because you've already been waiting too long… Let's rock! I really hope this turns out worth the wait. (grins somewhat nervously)

* * *

/ _In a small café, Kiba's eyes were wide while he came across a newspaper article. "Naruto, you're not gonna believe this!" Without waiting for a response he went on. "There's been a freaking massacre, only a couple of blocks from our house! It says here that five people were killed. Only one, a woman, survived, but they don't expect her to live for long." He shuddered and shook his head. "They think it's the Akatsuki again. Man, those guys are monsters."_

_To his surprise Naruto was completely silent for the longest moment, and when he looked up the blond was holding his coffee mug with a badly trembling hand. The man's face was completely pale. What came out in the end was noting more than a whisper. "Put… that away, will you? I hate those things."_

_He frowned. "Are you okay?"_

_In a flash Naruto had created a huge grin, as though nothing had ever happened. "Yup, I'm just fine." The blond then seemed to take a deep breath. "Now, I need more coffee to stay awake through a nightshift at the club…"_

-

_About a day earlier, Sasuke could tell Suigetsu wasn't pleased. Her at the time husband watched her preparing for a yet another mission. "I still don't think this is a good idea, Sasuke."_

_She rolled her eyes, although in truth she was feeling more than a little bit restless herself. Something felt off. "Don't you know by now that I can take care of myself? I'll be fine." Without noticing it, she brushed her still fat stomach. "We both will be. I'm not the first pregnant woman doing missions for ANBU. This is just a basic, harmless mission, anyway."_

_Suigetsu nodded, though the gesture was stiff. Quite slowly he got up from the bed he'd been occupying and walked up to her, wrapping his arms almost possessively around her. "They better take good care of you out there."_

_She groaned a little. "We all take care of ourselves, you know that as well as I do. So stop it. Now, I have to go." In the spur of the moment, she gave him a quick little kiss. " See you tomorrow."_

_In many ways, that kiss marked the beginning of the end._

-

_Suigetsu had always detested hospitals beyond all reason, yet that wasn't the reason to why he actually trembled while waiting in a hollow, sterile hallway as the night wore on._

_He'd already lost his baby – now, he could do nothing but wait to hear if he'd lose Sasuke as well._

_His surprisingly heavy head snapped up at the sound of approaching steps, his exhausted, puffy eyes filled with hope – which died in an instant when instead of a doctor, he found Kakashi. The man sighed heavily. "This… wasn't supposed to happen. We didn't expect the attack, we didn't foresee this – there was no way to protect her, or any of them." The man swallowed. "I'm sorry."_

_Had Kakashi looked more closely as he nodded stiffly, the man would've understood that things would never be the same again._

_For such blood stilling hatred that lingered in Suigetsu's eyes couldn't be soothed with mere words._

_After that long night things were never the same again. _/

* * *

CHAPTER 11: The Final Chase Begins

* * *

Beep… Beep… Beep…

She'd heard that sound before, that much she knew for sure. It was almost comfortably familiar although it infuriated her beyond any belief at the same time. The sharp, annoying stench lingering everywhere made it impossible to think. Her eyebrows furrowed, but she didn't manage to open her eyes.

"Sasuke?" That voice… It came from so far away that it could've as well belonged into a whole different universe. "Sasuke, if you can hear me, open your eyes." A hand grabbed hers, and although she usually hated touching beyond any belief this one didn't make her want to pull away. "Open your eyes, and squeeze my hand."

Gosh how stiff and sore her muscles were – it was as though she hadn't used them in years. But nonetheless, slowly yet surely…

It took all her best efforts, but in the end her hand indeed tightened, and her eyelids agreed to inch – slightly yet still. She frowned at the blurry figure she met through light that hurt her eyes.

Was this a joke of some sort?

Very slowly the image cleared, allowing her to see Kakashi's face. It looked like the man hadn't slept in decades. "Well morning. You've been asleep for a week – it's good to see you awake for change."

She frowned once more.

Asleep, for a week? But… Why? What the heck was going on?

All of a sudden a memory hit her. Her eyes widened when she was too tired to hold herself back. "Naruto…" What the heck happened to him? Where was he?

Kakashi's expression didn't promise anything good. The man hesitated for the longest time before speaking. "Sasuke… You shouldn't worry about that yet, alright?"

Her eyes hardened, and she could actually feel how her blood pressure rose. The beeping in the background grew much faster.

Like hell she was accepting a response like that! If only she'd managed to make herself speak…

In the end she started to feel dizzy, and soon enough a nurse barged into the room with a nearly insulted look on her face. "Alright, I think you've put her through enough strain already." No matter how much she tried to fight in her current speechless state, Kakashi was ushered out of the room. The nurse then walked back to her, and her heart jumped when she saw a needle that seemed to have some pink medication in it. Oblivious to her disapproval, the nurse smiled. "We're all glad you're awake – you gave us quite a scare. But right now you need some more rest, and I'm also giving you some pain medication."

She was an agent, and had been used to protecting herself since she was just a kid. That's why it infuriated her that she couldn't do anything but watch as she was medicated.

No matter how hard she fought, in the end the medication was stronger. Soon enough she found herself sinking into a gray hue.

_Naruto…_, was her last coherent thought.

-

Kakashi restrained a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose while leaving the room.

Why did everything have to be so hard and complicated?

"How is she?" In some other situation it might've embarrassed him that Sakura's voice managed to catch him completely off guard. Lifting his head, he found her sitting nearby, right beside Sai. He wondered if the two noticed they were holding hands. The pinkette gulped, appearing years younger with how tired and even scared she was. "Is she awake? I saw a nurse running there."

He nodded slightly stiffly. "Yes, she just woke up. But…"

Just then his cell phone snapped to life. It took a while before he managed to respond. "Yes?"

"_It's me._" Yugao sounded just like he felt. "_Something's come up – I think you should come here._"

This time he sighed out loud while hanging up and looking at the two others. "We should get going." He glanced towards Sasuke's room, feeling a heavy hit of guilt. "We'll come back later."

* * *

Naruto had never felt as scared and lonely as he did while sitting in the tiny cell from which he'd woken up what felt like decades earlier.

So far he'd been fed pretty well – although he could barely eat from the constant nausea lingering inside – and he hadn't been tortured, although a lot of questions had been asked. But he felt the patience of his captors running out, and barely dared to think what was to come. He also hadn't slept since first waking up, because his haunting thoughts never left him alone. Yet the worst of all his fears wasn't for himself.

Sasuke… He'd heard nothing of her, none of his about a million questions had been answered. He didn't know if she was okay, or even alive, if he'd ever get to see her again. All the uncertainty was eating him away so badly that he feared he'd go out of his mind soon enough.

Gosh, how much he would've given for even a single glance…!

Just then the room's metallic door was opened with a screech. Turning his gaze, frowned at the man entering. "Kabuto?" His voice carried an unwanted slur. Usually it was Orochimaru who visited.

Kabuto's expression didn't change much. "Well 'morning, Naruto. I was getting worried the dosage was too big for you."

His eyes narrowed while extremely bad omens sent chills down his spine. "What do you want?"

Dark eyes flashed at him. "So far, we've been playing around. But now… it's time to get to the business and fish out all that information we both know you have."

* * *

Yugao had never been a quitter – if she had been, she would've never survived through even a tenth of what she'd faced during her life so far. Yet while she tried to work with Hayate, she found the little there was still left of her confidence fade like smoke.

After the first couple of days and with the affect of whatever medication the man had been pumped with had faded, Hayate wasn't hostile – such would've been against his nature. But he was incredibly good at dodging every single move she made to try and get closer to him. He was afraid of her, that much she could tell; afraid of her, of the prison like medical wing of ANBU, of remembering. And no matter what tricks she used she couldn't get past the new barrier that'd appeared to stand between them.

But just like so many times before, that day Hayate managed to surprise her. It happened in the middle of a seemingly harmless conversation.

"I've never been much of a painter, have I?"

She moved her gaze from the barred window to take a look at the painting the man was currently working on. True enough, it was nothing outstanding – it was a rather warm, ordinary sketch of a summertime seashore-landscape. But it carried warmth she recognized immediately, and she couldn't hold back a smile. "I think it's nice. It looks like you." She wondered if it was wise to add what was roaming around in her head, but in the end she spoke. "You've always loved the sea."

Hayate's eyes grew hazy, and for a while she feared the connection between them had been lost. After a few long moments he spoke. "I… have thought so, too." A somewhat troubled expression appeared. "I just wish I could remember why."

She knew it was most likely against all reason to say such a thing, but her tongue worked free of her will. "You grew up in a houseboat, and spent most of your childhood by the sea. We… were good friends back then."

Hayate looked at her for a long time, obviously wondering and deep in thought. "Oh." He then looked back towards the painting not to look at her. "Were we… still friends, before…?" The man trailed off.

"Yes." She wasn't sure if that was a lie or not, but felt that the response was more important than honesty. "We were."

Hayate nodded, seeming almost relieved. "That's good. Because…" The brunet visibly fought to find the right words. "I think I could like you. You're pretty much the only one I trust."

At first she gawked with utter shock, then melted into a huge smile.

Just then there was a knock on the room's door that made them both jump. After a few moments Kakashi peered in, appearing slightly sheepish. The man's eyes seemed troubled when they observed Hayte for a while before turning back towards her. "Sorry if I'm… interrupting, but you called and said there was something important."

She nodded, then glanced towards the brunet. "I'll see you soon, 'k?"

Hayate nodded faintly, completely focused on his painting.

Once she and Kakashi stepped into the hallway, they had no idea there were keen ears listening.

-

Kimimaro's mind was fogged by medication and all the 'interrogation' sessions he'd had during the past days, but nonetheless his ears sharpened at the words he heard.

"_It's TenTen_", said a stiff female voice he didn't know. "_They found her._"

His heart nearly stopped. Was TenTen really there, in the same building – with these people? Was there a chance that…?

"_Is she okay?_" a man inquired.

The silence that followed crushed his lifted spirits far more effectively than the words. "_She… was half dead when they found her. The doctors don't want to give anything more specific yet, before they've contacted her family._"

His heart nearly stopped, and something warm and wet slipped to his cheeks. He closed his eyes and held his breath to keep unwanted noises locked into his throat.

No – TenTen couldn't be, she couldn't…

It was the first time in his life he attempted to pray, not that he would've known much of what he was doing. There'd been little room for mercy and miracles in his cruel world, but maybe – just maybe – fate would make an exception this time around.

* * *

Naruto had been through torture before. While under Pein's 'training', he'd been taught to endure horrendous physical tormenting without breaking down. But Kabuto knew exactly what he was doing, and that made things very, very difficult for him.

He'd already been electrocuted, several cuts had been made to his skin, and he'd been sunken into icy water until he'd started seeing stars – that, to mention only a few of the things done to him until then.

But Kabuto, of course, wasn't quite through with him yet.

His eyes widened involuntarily when the man pulled out a needle that was filled with bluish substance. "I think we both know you only have yourself to blame." And so the injection came, without him being able to do a thing to stop it.

At first nothing happened, and he already dared to relax a little. But then came such a searing sensation that it took all his breath away, nearly wiped away all his sanity. He hoped from the bottom of his heart that he could've screamed, that he would've been able to speak out the one thing burning his tongue. His face twisted into a grimace, he could tell.

_Sasuke!_

"So you've had enough already? How disappointing." The man leaned closer, those chilling eyes boring into his. "With how much you've already escaped from, and judging by how much Sasuke was willing to sacrifice for you, I was expecting something more."

His heart actually skipped a beat, and only his breathless state kept him from gasping. "What…?" was all he managed.

Kabuto folded his arms, and in some other situation he might've seen the dangerous gleam in the man's eyes. "She's dead." Those words came out so easily that it sickened him long before the words started to take affect. "She's gone, Naruto. She isn't going to come and save you this time around."

It took a while before he managed to process those words properly, before every single piece finally fell together. Once the words finally affected he felt how something delicate inside him smashed to pieces, slowly yet surely, leaving him absolutely hollow.

Then…

He started laughing hysterically, with absolutely no sanity in his head at the moment, while hot tears streamed down his cheeks. "I don't even fucking know where the disc is anymore, okay? Sasuke... She hid it, or destroyed it - I don't know which one, and I don't care. So… You're wasting your time." When the other still didn't seem to understand, he went on, his body working on an overdrive. Tears blinded him. "I. Don't. Have. It."

Sasuke… had died for nothing.

He'd fought this hard for no reason.

Sasuke was gone.

It was over, all over.

And he couldn't feel a thing but the weight sitting on his chest.

At first Kabuto simply looked at him with eyes that didn't seem to quite believe. Then, the man nodded slowly with a dangerous expression. "I see. That means you're useless to us, just as I expected." The other's eyes rose to something or someone behind him, then – as though receiving a sign – moved back to him. "Don't worry – this will be all over quickly."

His heart – not having been prepared for such – jumped, then nearly stopped when a gun was raised against him, nearly pressed against his forehead.

_Oh shit…_

He squeezed his eyes tightly shut – sure that this was the end of his line – and nearly gasped because of the way his heart was pounding. In the end there was a gunshot, far louder than his ears would've liked, and he opened his mouth for a soundless scream.

However, the pain he'd expected… It never came. Instead followed a rather loud thud.

His eyes opened up wide, only to discover Kabuto down on the floor in a pool of blood. It was obvious the man was dead. He then lifted his gaze – to meet the eyes of Itachi Uchiha.

* * *

When the medication finally started to fade, Sasuke did her best to at least try and think coherently, to make sense of things.

Naruto had been taken. Someone… Someone had told those bastards exactly where to find them, of that she was sure. But who? Who would do such a thing?

Just then there was a faint knock on the room's door before it opened. She turned her gaze to find a somewhat hesitant Sakura. "Hey. We didn't know if you're awake, but we wanted to come and see you."

Suigetsu appeared to view from behind the pinkette. "Hey. Nice to see you back in the land of the living."

"Hn." Then, while the two entered and sat at the chairs nearby her bed, she frowned while observing the man. "You look pale. Are you okay?" Because she remembered his expression sickeningly well from the time they'd been married.

Suigetsu's grin didn't seem right. "Yeah. I just didn't sleep well last night, that's all."

She didn't know what triggered such a memory, but suddenly Kabuto's words she'd heard on the edge of consciousness slammed back into her ears, echoing there as though trying to make her understand something.

/ _"Now stop glaring at me and take care of him like you were supposed to, will you – you want your reward, right? We can fight about this later."_ /

She looked at Suigetsu's face, and all of a sudden everything made so much sense it sickened her. Every little piece slid together inside her suddenly hurting head, crowding it.

All those times someone had obviously given information to the enemy… All those times there'd been an ambush…

Suigetsu frowned at her. "What wrong?"

She didn't care about the pain that ravished her body as she did so, nor did it matter to her that she could barely stand, let alone move and fight. Her eyes were nothing but flames when she attacked Suigetsu, tackling the man to the floor.

Suigetsu's eyes held genuine confusion. "What…?!"

She grit her teeth so hard that a screeching sound was heard. "You… bastard went and betrayed us – me. Because of you those assholes have Naruto." She had to focus her all not to just kill her ex-husband right there and then. "You're in a deep shit, do you understand?"

Suigetsu's eyes didn't show fear, but something did shimmer in them, indicating that she'd been understood better than well. "What… are you going to do?"

Without saying a word, he delivered a punch to Suigetsu's face, and was disgustingly pleased to discover that the impact almost knocked the man out. Her eyes then flashed while she grabbed a sharp knife from the covers of his clothing – knowing exactly where to find more already – and placed the blade only a millimetre from the man's neck.

"Sasuke!" Sakura gasped out.

She didn't even hear. "If something happens to him before I find him…", she growled like a furious beast. "… I'm going to pay everything back to you and _them_ all tenfold. Do you understand?"

Was Suigetsu… afraid? "They're gonna kill you."

She snorted. "And you honestly think I care?" She pressed the blade even tighter. "When you meet _them_ again, make damn sure they know I'm coming. And let them know I don't make empty threats."

Less than ten minutes later she and Sakura left the building without making a sound, the pinkette sneaking constant worried glances towards her as she all but limped forth with her eyes smouldering.

* * *

In the meantime in the Akatsuki's base, Pein's eyes moved when Konan entered the room. "Still no sight of Itachi?"

She shook her head, appearing… tense, almost. "But that's not what I came for. We just got some recent information." She held a tiny pause. "Orochimaru doesn't have the disc, yet at least, but he has Naruto."

He felt a flare inside, and it took a long moment before he managed to react. "I see."

Konan observed his face with an expression he hadn't seen in a long time. "What are you going to do?"

"Well…" His eyes flashed, he knew, while he looked out the window. "With or without Itachi, it seems it's time to move."

* * *

TBC, right?

* * *

A/N: So… It looks like everyone's on the move. (gulps)

In the next one (that is, if you want to see such), a lot of rumbling takes place and some well kept secrets are revealed. Will our beloved boneheads finally see each other?

GAH, my time on a computer just ran out, so I'm tuning out. (winces) **PLEASE**, please do leave a review to let me know if you're still gonna be on board! (gives puppy-dog eyes – and shows some reward cupcakes…)

Until next time, with whatever story that may be!

Take care!


	12. Breaking Free, Crashing Down

A/N: Heh, didn't take me months this time, ne? (grins sheepishly) I wish I could've updated sooner, but this chappy was a real 'problem child', and I've been kind of busy lately. I'm so sorry! (winces)

First off, thank yous from the bottom of my heart for those fantastic reviews you've sent! (HUUUUGS, and gives some pie, too) You were the ones responsible for this chappy ever seeing daylight, ya know? So thank you!

Awkay, because I should be studying right now I'm starting to tune out and get to the actual business. (grins, and rubs hands together) I really hope ya'll have a good time with this one!

* * *

In a huge building's long shadows, Orochimaru's eyes gleamed while he watched how light shone on a long, slender yet deadly sharp knife he'd just polished.

He'd been waiting patiently for such a long time, sacrificed and lost more than he would've ever known to anticipate. But now, in a matter of hours, he'd finally get what should've been his to begin with.

He put the knife into its hood, which was hanging loosely on his belt, and gave a chilling smile.

This time, he'd take care of things by himself. And there wouldn't be slip-ups.

-

On the other side of the town Pein's eyes opened when the door of his meditation room opened. "It's been confirmed." Konan's voice was tight. "Itachi hasn't returned yet – either he's been captured, or he's following a mission of his own."

He nodded, wishing he'd been more surprised. His eyes flashed. "Gather your equipment. We're leaving."

Konan frowned, he could tell. "What about Zetsu and Kisame – are they coming as well?"

"No." His voice was harsher than he'd intended, but he didn't bother to mind. "I think we've done enough trusting and getting disappointed already. We're taking care of this one alone."

-

While starting to move, both parties knew one thing.

After the following few hours, nothing would be the same.

* * *

CHAPTER 12: Breaking Free, Crashing Down

* * *

Despite the workload he was trying to conquer – or perhaps because of it – Kakashi was almost dozing off in front of his desk until his cell phone started to bleep demandingly. The second he saw who the caller was he was fully awake. "Sasuke?" A deep frown appeared. "What…?"

"_I don't have a lot of time._" Sasuke's voice was tight and slightly hoarse. "_I just wanted to let you know I'm on Naruto's tails. At the beginning of this mission I gave him a tracking device, and I just activated it. I'm on my way to him – but so are Orochimaru and the Akatsuki. Suigetsu's a traitor. Send a group to pick him up from the hospital._"

His frown from before deepened still, and he felt very cold. "Sasuke, it's too dangerous to try something like that alone – besides, you should still be in the hospital!"

"_Who said I was going alone?_" She held a beat's pause. "_I can't keep waiting any longer, so I'm going to give you the address. Will you take it, or are you going to keep lecturing?_"

Kakashi fought the urge to groan. One of these days, that Uchiha was going to be the death of him… "I'm listening."

-

As soon as she'd hung up, Sasuke turned around to see Sakura and Sai stood behind her with stoic expressions. "So it's time to go?" Sakura guessed.

She nodded, then gave both of the two a long, hard look. "You do know that you won't have to do this, right?"  
Sakura shrugged. "Sure we do. That's what friends are for, right? Besides, we want action."

She didn't quite know what to say, so she chose the easiest option. "Hn."

"Now let's go." To both their surprise it was Sai who said this. "Orochimaru isn't known for his patience, and I'm sure he's able to get his hands on Naruto. We better get there before him."

And so they were on their way.

* * *

Naruto woke up – it was funny, really, how amazed something that simple made him. His vision was slightly hazy and something was stuck in his throat – making it hard to breathe – but he was awake, and alive. "Sasuke…?" he murmured without a thought, only to have the memory hit him in less than a second.

His eyes, those that'd been so very difficult to open, closed once more while he emitted a strange sound in the back of his throat.

Life was never fair, was it?

The almost crushing feeling of sadness subsided a little, its place taken over by something much darker, when memories of the latest events started to settle in.

"Naruto?" The voice was oddly familiar and foreign at the same time. He heard steps. "Are you awake?"

His eyes flew open. At first his gaze was so blurry that it was hard to tell what he was looking at, but eventually he could make out Itachi's face. His heartbeat got a bit tangled for a moment. "Wah…?!" What he heck was going on?

He expected an explanation – instead Itachi gave him a glass of water. "Drink this. It'll clear your head."

He forced himself into a sitting position. Having a strong thought that it was a very bad idea, he took a cautious sip – after all, he was so thirsty that he could barely think. "Why?" Apparently the drink did work. At least he could talk, although it was just one word.

Itachi seemed to understand. The older male looked away with eyes that were impossible to read. "It's… a long story."

He snorted. "Oh, really?" He then swallowed, his throat and eyes growing itchy. "Sasuke, she… She hated you." It was almost unbearable to use past tense.

Itachi's eyes darkened, and for the first time the older male seemed vulnerable in his eyes. "She… saw me doing something I was forced to do. She was too young to understand."

He nodded. In all honesty he didn't want to talk about Sasuke all that much – it was too painful. He brought his legs to his chest and leaned backwards, lifting his gaze to the roof. It was dark wood, but shadows nonetheless created devious patterns.

For the longest time it was completely silent, as neither of them wanted to talk all that much, and in his case he didn't even trust his voice.

"I think you should try to rest for a little while. This is one of Sasuke's hideouts, but I'm not sure how much longer we'll be able to hide." There was a sound of distancing steps as the Uchiha left. "I'll keep watch in the meantime." The door closed after the older male.

He swallowed down what could've been either a sigh or a cry, closing his eyes.

He already knew what all his dreams would be about.

A couple of silent tears slipped to his cheeks.

* * *

Although he hated being all but imprisoned, Hayate had to confess that living in ANBU's medical ward also held some perks. The biggest of them was definitely Yugao, who – as he assumed – visited him far more often than she should have.

At the moment he was enjoying himself far more than he would've found suitable as he sketched while she sat on a windowsill. Neither of them wanted to speak, but that was all right; silence had always been the most comfortable around the two of them.

All of a sudden Yugao turned her gaze, looking at him with clear amusement. "What are you drawing, anyway? You seem so focused."

His faint blush gave him away easily. "It's nothing… special."

Seeming curious, Yugao made her way to take a look at the artwork – and she gasped faintly. It took a moment before she managed to speak, her voice filled bafflement and something close to movement. "Is… this really how you see me?"

He never got the chance to respond, because just then the room's door opened, and an agent he didn't know peered in. The man's expression was very serious. "I'm… sorry to interrupt, but Kakashi sent me you to come and get you. They've found Naruto, and it looks like Suigetsu's turned his back on us – we need every available agent right now."

Yugao nodded, seeming equally solemn, then looked at him. "I've gotta go, but I'll come back as soon as I can, okay?"

He tried to smile, although it was next to impossible, looking directly to her eyes. Then, without a warning, memories came rushing in with such force and ache that he gasped, bringing a hand to his temple. Without him noticing it his other hand grabbed Yugao's, holding on almost desperately as the flood went on.

A memory of them holding hands…

A memory of her giving him a smile – a smile that was reserved only for him…

A memory of one of those many 'almost kisses' they'd had…

So many memories of the love and friendship between them…

Yugao, clearly noticing his discomfort, frowned. "Hayate?" Her hand squeezed his for a moment. "What's wrong?"

He held her hand for a moment longer, not knowing what to say, until he let go as though he'd been very tired all of a sudden. "Just… Be careful, please?"

Her smile made him feel so warm inside that he shivered. "I will." Quite obviously unwilling to do so, she turned around and started to walk away. "I'll see you soon, okay?"

He nodded, although she couldn't see it. All of a sudden there was a hellish, stinging sensation in his eyes he couldn't understand.

Somehow… it felt like he'd been watching her walking away for the last time. And even the thought sickened him.

* * *

In the meantime Itachi's eyes opened when he heard a vehicle nearby the house in which he and Naruto were hiding. Looking out the window, he found something that made it hard to resist the temptation to smile.

There, only steps away, Sasuke was approaching the building with two other agents. Sasuke, alive and as well as could be expected. His sister was still alive – that thought alone was enough to calm his chest that'd felt uncomfortable all day.

Quite reluctantly he turned around and away from the sight, starting to leave the building. His work was done; hopefully Sasuke would make it alone from hereon.

He barely made it to a dark, shady alleyway before he felt something cool and hard against his head. Only his pride kept him from swallowing thickly before he heard Konan's voice. "So you thought you'd be able to betray us without consequences?" She removed the safety. "Guess again."

-

In the meantime, after separating from Sakura and Sai, Sasuke made her way inside, holding her gun with both hands and scanning through her environment with harsh, watchful eyes.

Her skin tingled, as it always did when something far from pleasant was approaching, and she couldn't help wondering what such a feeling meant now. The last thing she needed was unpleasant surprises.

Her wish was, of course, dismissed. Because just then she saw Naruto, laying motionless on the floor. Without thinking she rushed over to him, and gave a barely audible sigh of relief when discovering that he was breathing and his pulse was strong. The blond was merely unconscious, and the slightly bleeding gash on a paled forehead explained why.

Her eyes flashed.

He was all right at the moment, yes. But he wouldn't be for long if they didn't get out of the building and Orochimaru's reach.

She slapped his cheek rather hard. "Naruto." No reaction. She hissed loudly. "Uzumaki, get your ass moving _now_, or I swear…"

She froze completely when cold steel was pressed against her head. "Well how about this." She heard a gun being prepared. "I've been waiting for you to return, Sasuke-kun. Isn't that what all traitors do eventually?"

She closed her eyes for a fleeting moment, wondering if this was really happening and what'd be the best possible next move. Then – much faster than should've been humanly possible – she hunched closer to Naruto while darting a furious kick to the older man's kneecap. Too surprised to control his body, Orochimaru ducked down.

The man gave her a cruel little smile. "Still so fiery, even after getting shot. That's good – I would've been disappointed if I hadn't gotten to face you in all your glory."

Her eyes narrowing dangerously, she moved her hands so that her gun was pressed directly to Orochimaru's forehead. Obviously having same kind of thoughts the man moved at the exact same time, and as metal touched her forehead as well they were at a standstill.

Orochimaru's eyes seemed exactly like snake's while the man tilted his head. "So, Sasuke-kun… How much do you believe in your luck?"

In truth she didn't believe in luck at all – she'd learned long since that if she wanted to survive, a certain amount of pessimism was a requirement. But she wouldn't reveal that to the man – a monster – before her.

Orochimaru's expression was a strange mixture of chilling and pleasant as the man looked at her. "Do you remember those days when I trained you, how we practiced for hours like this? You've grown up a lot from that child, Sasuke-kun."

Her eyes narrowed even further, and her hands trembled barely traceably as rage took a hold of them. "That child doesn't exist anymore", she all but snarled. "That hold you had on me… It's gone."

Orochimaru chuckled. "You've always been bad at fooling yourself – and even worse at fooling me."

She was about to retort, but her intentions were cut short by a barely audible half-moan. "Sas… uke?" She wished she could've turned to see Naruto's face, to see the man's blue eyes finally open. "You're… You're not…"

It wasn't until then she realized that Naruto must've been told she was dead. New fury made her shiver a little. "I'm alright." Her voice was as hard as steel. "Naruto, you need to get up and run, alright? I have some help with me. They'll take you away from here."

Orochimaru chuckled once more, claiming all her attention. "Did you really think that backup would help?" The man's expression was almost haughty. "I have a feeling that your friends will be rather busy from now on – after all, I'm the least aggressive of those people after your… little friend. But don't worry." The man's hold on his weapon tightened. "I'm sure we'll have plenty of fun on our own."

She decided not to wait for his next move. Her muscles tensed up for a moment before she moved.

She heard Naruto gasp.

* * *

On the street nearby, Sakura froze all of a sudden, her blood turning into ice.

Sai, who'd been walking before her, glanced towards her with a frown. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head, frowning as well. "I… don't know. Most likely nothing." She wished she wouldn't have lied.

Sai's mouth opened, but before the man could actually say a thing a strange sound came – a bullet shot through a silencer, she realized with chills.

For a couple of seconds they merely stared at each other with slightly widened eyes, her heart pounding as she waited with anxiety. Then, so suddenly that she actually cried out, the man fell forward with closed eyes, landing directly to her arms. "Sai!" There was no response, and her chest became so tight that it was impossible to breathe. "S – Sai, please…"

It was then she finally discovered the wound. It was located on a tender spot nearby the man's neck his bulletproof vest didn't hide, and it was bleeding badly. She didn't have to be a medic to know that this was definitely a very, very bad turn of things. Her eyes widened while she clasped her hands to the wound with despair. In seconds crimson tainted her skin completely.

_No… No, please no…!_

The world _stopped_, and she started to shiver against her will. Only lack of breath kept her from screaming out loud.

Apparently, fate decided that she didn't have enough to deal with already. Just then she caught steps from the nearby rooftop. She lifted her gaze – and found herself looking directly into Pein's eyes that carried no emotion. The little breath she'd had slipped away when the man pointed a gun towards her. "This is nothing personal – I'm sure we both know that."

She evaluated her options, only to realize she had none. She'd never make it to Pein or safety before he'd shoot her, and if she'd stop pressing Sai's wound he might bleed to death _fast_. All she could do was sit there, waiting for the inevitable with Sai bleeding in her arms.

Just then, however, fate obviously decided that it was finally her turn. For she saw a dark shadow, and before she could blink Pein's gun had fallen to the street about five steps from her with a loud clonk. Looking back to the roof, she just had to gasp faintly with surprise.

There, stood right next to Pein, was none other than Itachi Uchiha, a man she knew from several files – slightly bloodied, but appearing so determined that it was almost breathtaking. The two men glared at each other mercilessly. With just one glance she could tell that a storm was about to erupt.

-

As Itachi was face to face with Pein the air turned icy.

This was something they'd both subconsciously known approaching for a long time. Now, the electricity was nearly breathtaking.

"Where's Konan?" Pein almost growled, sounding like a wounded beast.

His eyes showed barely any emotions – he was tired of feeling at the moment. "She's dead", he announced, the last word tasting bitter in his mouth. "She died in seconds – she didn't have to suffer."

Of course that information wasn't enough for Pein. The man's strange eyes burned as he took off his cloak, and pulled out a knife he could tell was sharp. "I should've known not to trust you from the start. Now it's time to correct that mistake." The leader's eyes became sinister. "It's time to show you exactly how I feel about traitors."

He'd made it through one battle. Somehow he had a feeling that this one wouldn't be as easy.

* * *

It'd taken a lot of persuasion, and at the moment he had what seemed like a full army of guards with him, but eventually Kimimaro had been granted permission to go and see TenTen. As soon as he actually saw her, however, he wished he hadn't come.

The ICU of the hospital was already a terrifying place, and the impression was made even starker with the fact that he wasn't even let into the woman's room – he was only allowed to look at her through a thick glass. It was, however, her appearance that struck him the hardest.

She was beaten up extremely badly – that much he could see and understand even without being told. Her head was almost completely wrapped up, and one of her arms was in a thick cast. Tubes and wires ran to her like snakes – offering fluids, medication, and helping with even something as simple as breathing. All of the skin he could actually see was black and blue with bruising, leading him far too easily into wondering if there was anything unbroken in her entire body.

He wished he could've cried, showed at least a little bit of emotion.

What had happened to the woman he'd met, to the woman he'd…? This was all his fault – it was because of him she…

A hand the made him jolt a little with discomfort was laid to his shoulder. A rather empathetic seeming young male-agent was looking at him with eyes that said much too clearly 'I understand'. "It's going to be okay. I know she seems a bit… rough right now, but she's one of our top agents – she's tough enough to make it through this."

He frowned, his thoughts whirring. An agent…?

His eyes then widened as realization dawned, so bright it _hurt_.

TenTen… All that time they'd spent together she'd led him into believing she was also working for Orochimaru, she'd allowed him to think they were allies and that she cared about him. And in reality… she'd been working for _them_ all along. She'd…

He felt sick to his stomach, and it took his all not to throw up as he looked back at the woman.

He sensed how the other man's eyes widened. "I… I'm sorry – I didn't realize…"

He didn't even hear. All that fit into his head was one bitter question.

What had happened to the world he'd believed in?

* * *

In the hospital, Suigetsu – who could faintly recall being knocked down by Sasuke – woke up right on time to hear several sets of steps approaching the room. Rough commands he couldn't quite catch made their way to his ears.

His eyes flashed.

He'd made far too many unforgivable mistakes already. Sasuke was now about to face both Orochimaru and the Akatsuki all alone – that was something he'd _never_ wanted.

It was time to finally do something right, he decided while preparing his weapon and making a solid plan for leaving the building.

Sasuke was _not_ going to die because of him – he'd do whatever he'd have to in order to make sure of that.

* * *

Sasuke had been in several battles during her career, and even before that. She'd met many opponents who'd appeared much stronger than she and made it through just fine. Sometimes she'd ended up banged up, but in the end she'd always found a way to defeat her opponent.

But this time she was fighting against _Orochimaru_ – the man who'd trained her, who'd killed more people than she probably even wanted to know, who had absolutely no traces of emotions slowing him down.

She kicked, spun and punched, then repeated the cycle, and as Orochimaru followed her strong lead it looked like they'd been dancing. In the end knifes were drawn, and light danced angrily on the silvery surface of steel, throwing patterns that also started to dance on the walls.

"I've been waiting for this for a long time, since I found out it was you who killed my parents", she hissed, managing to make a rather nasty cut dangerously close to the man's throat. "It's been a long road, but now I'm finally going to do what I should've a long time ago." Rage took a hold of her motions and she slashed, creating a bleeding wound to the man's chest. "I'll kill you, slaughter you, just like you killed them."

To her surprise Orochimaru chuckled once again, shaking his head. "Ah, I see Kakashi has been telling you fairytales. If you really think the truth is that simple, I'm afraid I've overestimated you." Then, so suddenly that there was no room to dodge, the man slashed, leaving a painful wound to her shoulder. Taking this opportunity, the older male pushed himself so close to her that breathing became difficult, and guided her against the wall. His eyes gleamed in a way that sickened her as they looked straight to hers. "I created you, Sasuke-kun – it was I who made you that deadly creature you are now. Did you really think you'd be able to fight me?"

Her eyes flashed again while her hand moved, preparing to plunge a knife the man didn't know about directly to the chest almost pressed against hers. "I will break free", she declared in a hiss. "Even if I'd have to rip you apart to do it."

She was just about to strike when the decision was ripped from her hands. For just then Naruto moved, and before she could do a thing to stop the blond he'd already jumped on Orochimaru. "You bastard, leave her alone!"

Her eyes flashed with more emotions than she could restrain. "Naruto, you idiot, stay out of this!"

Orochimaru, of course, wasn't ambushed this easily. She only managed to erase some of the hit's destructive force with a grab as the man's hand moved. A knife ripped a wound on Naruto's arm that made the blond cry out. "Be thankful I still need you to find that disc", Orochimaru all but snarled. "Otherwise you'd be dead right now."

At that moment Sasuke became pushed well over the edge. Once more the two of them moved almost simultaneously as she took her gun, pointing it directly against the much older man. "Leave him alone", she snarled.

With a brief glance she noticed light flashing on another gun.

Ten seconds later two gunshots could be heard. After that it was completely silent for a couple of moments.

* * *

TBC, no?

* * *

A/N:GAH – ANOTHER cliffy! (winces, then screams and starts running away from thrown weapons) PLEASE, don't kill the author!

Okay, as said I've gotta start tuning out. **PLEASE**, leave a review, yeah? It'd really mean a lot to me, especially since this story is so close to the end. (glances with pleading puppy dog eyes)

**ONLY TWO CHAPTERS TO GO!**

Until next time, folks – I truly hope ya'll all be on board then!

Peace out!


	13. Final Turns Are The Steepest

A/N: MAN, it took TOO long – I'm so sorry, but I've been swamped with my summer job! (winces) BUT, now I'm finally back on track and the new chappy is here! Yay? (grins)

MASSIVE thank yous for all those AMAZING reviews you've left for me! You can't even imagine how much inspiration I got from them. (HUUUUGS) THANK YOU! And special, enormous thank yous to my loyal, wonderful proofreader **SerenityOfTheMatrix**! (hugs)

Awkay, because I've gotta hurry and I bet you want to get going after those MURDEROUS reviews, let's go! (grins) 'Hope you'll enjoy this.

* * *

**Forty Years Later**

* * *

_Every story has a beginning, that much is obvious._

* * *

A ten-year-old Aiko Uzumaki's black eyes carried tremendous curiosity while she went through a box full of things a lot of years had gathered. Photographs and other treasures that told a story that had always been more or less a mystery to her.

It felt like she'd been looking at flashes from an entirely different life, of another dimension. It was captivating and frightening at the same time.

All of a sudden her fingers brushed something that'd been hidden at the very bottom of the box. It was a very old photograph.

She frowned for a moment when looking at the picture. It represented a young, blond-haired man she immediately recognized, and a black haired woman who looked just like her. They were hugging each other, most likely not even knowing of the nosy photographer. They… seemed to be so in love that it almost made her gasp.

And suddenly she understood.

Without wasting another second she ran, her eyes shining with excitement.

The road that follows is often curvy and long, making those following the path swear that they can't take any more. But then, all of a sudden, the journey comes to an end.

"Grandpa! Grandpa!" Her voice was tightened by excitement and anticipation while she rushed on. "Remember that box you said I could take a look at?"

The man, who'd been reading a book, looked at her from behind his glasses, blue eyes amused. "Why do I have a feeling that you've found something?"

She grinned. "I did." She showed him the picture, her heart all but pounding with excitement. "This woman with you… She's grandma, right?" This could be her last chance to get to know this woman who was only spoken of in silent, secretive whispers, who still affected her grandfather so. Even less was enough to make her heart beat fast with anticipation.

When she saw the way her grandfather's eyes darkened, however, she began to regret showing him the photograph. Because even to someone as young as she was, it was clear that the memories awakening were painful.

And the ending truly is what makes several stories.

Her grandfather kept his quiet for a long time until he finally spoke in a voice she didn't recognize. "Yes." His tone was almost painfully soft and heavy with something she couldn't name while he caressed the picture fondly with his thumb. "That's your grandmother."

She swallowed a little, her heart still pounding. "Can you… tell me a story about her?" Not only was he a great storyteller, but despite her age she also had a feeling that this was something he needed to talk about.

She could tell the man's smile was a faked one. "It's… a long story, Ladybird. And I'm fairly sure you're too young to hear most of it."

Unfortunately to him, she had stubborn blood running through her veins. "Please? I'd like to hear."

Her grandfather was silent for so long that she was almost sure he wouldn't speak. Then, after what felt like a decade, he started in a near whisper, staring out the window with glazed eyes. "Her name was Sasuke Uchiha."

However… The ending isn't always the one everyone's been expecting.

* * *

CHAPTER 13: Final Turns Are The Steepest

* * *

**Present**

* * *

Sasuke's eyes opened with a lot of hard work, and for a moment everything was so white that she was almost sure she'd died. Then, slowly, she became aware of the situation at hand.

Two bullets had been fired by Orochimaru. One of them had hit her bulletproof vest, and she still felt the sting it'd left. But the other…

Her vision was finally clear when she glanced downward, noticing that she'd positioned her body so that she was shielding Naruto. The blond was looking back at her with widened eyes that carried worry and something beyond. "Are you okay?" he asked before she could utter a sound.

She nodded, then frowned as he winced. Moving her gaze, she noticed that the other bullet had made a rather nasty cut to his leg before slamming to a wall. _Damn_ _it…_ She glanced towards him with eyes she could tell flamed. "You idiot…" Her tone, however, didn't sound the way she'd hoped it would.

Before Naruto could ever say or do a thing, Orochimaru cut their conversation. "Now, as amusing as you two are…" The man's eyes gleamed. "I believe we had some unfinished business."

Her eyes flashed, and in a blink the fight that'd been interrupted erupted once more, in full force.

And far more time passed than she would've seen proper.

Of course she was younger and stronger than Orochimaru. But she was already injured – heck, she should've been in the hospital. That's why her reflexes just didn't manage to work before it was already too late.

In a flash Orochimaru's one hand had been slammed to her throat – halting all breath – while the other was brought roughly to her gunshot wound. Her mouth opened as pain ravished her, and she was fairly sure that if it'd been possible she would've screamed.

Naruto moved, but didn't manage to take more than a couple of steps before Orochimaru's swift hand brought an extremely sharp knife to her throat. The older man's eyes held a somewhat warning look, as though he'd been teaching a lesson of some sort to a misbehaving child. "Now, now, Naruto – this has nothing to do with you. So stay very still unless you want her to get hurt, all right? Don't worry – your time will come."

Naruto's eyes flamed with frustration and wrath while the blond did as ordered with loudly visible reluctance, obviously knowing that there was no other way.

Of course Orochimaru, however, didn't stay true to his word. The moment Sasuke realized the knife was moving, she also knew much too clearly that there was no way to stop the inevitable.

The hit was much faster and stronger than she'd expected, penetrated her unprotected side so that it took her all not to black out. She wasn't entirely sure if she gasped or even moaned a little while meeting Orochimaru's eyes. The man's gaze didn't reveal that he would've been affected in any way whatsoever. "It truly is such a shame, Sasuke-kun…", the older male all but murmured, measuring her up with his gaze. "… that you've always been too stubborn to learn before it's too late."

Her vision swayed and her eyes narrowed, but she didn't go down. Instead she swung her fist forward, managing to target her hit directly to Orochimaru's eye. The man's eyes flashed with something she'd never seen before, and before she knew it the knife was pushed even harder.

This time she screamed, unable to hold it back for another second.

Naruto cried out somewhere in the distance. "Sasuke!"

She wished she could've spoken, to tell him to calm down and run, but not another word made it through her throat. With some alarm she noticed that she was growing light-headed.

There wasn't much time left. Her mind started to wander around rather aimlessly, trying to come up with a solution.

She knew her gun lay on the floor nearby, but dismissed the thought immediately. She'd never have the time to pick it up before she would have been killed.

Then her hand twitched above the knife that was hidden underneath her clothing, and she was fairly sure her eyes flashed. If she'd move fast, then maybe… There could still be a chance. There was still time for a final attempt, although it was desperate.

Her ears no longer worked as she moved, which was why she didn't hear the sounds Naruto made, nor noticed that someone had just entered the room. The first time she realized something was going on was when Orochimaru's eyes widened with something that looked like surprise, and some blood splattered to her clothes. For some stretched seconds the man's already dead eyes looked directly to hers before he finally fell and lay unmoving. Quite dizzily she noticed that there was a gunshot wound on his back, and red liquid stained the back of his shirt.

Her dizzy mind was almost amused.

Who would've thought – he was just a mortal man, after all.

"Sasuke?" She wasn't sure who called out for her, barely even cared.

Her eyes slipped closed and she fell.

-

Naruto was too much in a shock to realize what was happening when Sasuke started to fall all of a sudden, and a new arrival dashed forth, managing to catch her long before it would've been too late. Then – very slowly and holding her in a way that made him see red – the arrival turned around to face him.

He didn't manage to speak until their eyes met. "Suigetsu…?"

* * *

Itachi couldn't even remember how many nights he'd spent wide awake after he'd been forced to join the Akatsuki, dreamt with every cell in his body about the day when he'd finally get to leave it all behind, when…

When he could live once more.

Now, that day was finally at hand. Every kick, punch and attack he sent Pein's way pushed him closer to his goal. But unfortunately every move from the leader pulled him back just as strongly, reminding him harshly of just how deep he'd sunken.

"I remember the day you first appeared." Pein's voice was surprisingly calm, especially considering the fact that the man was holding a knife to his throat. "You were serene and collected – almost scarily much so, considering that your parents had just died and your father had practically left you to us. And especially considering what we threatened to do to your sister if you disobeyed." The knife was pushed tighter, and with a slight tinge of pain he felt some blood escape. "But I saw the fire in your eyes. Already then I knew that one day, it'd all come down to this." He managed to push himself further when the man's emotions took the best of him, and they circled around each other. "I should've killed you then."

His eyes held no emotions – he knew, because he was too empty and tired to feel anything underneath his ribcage. It felt like everything he'd ever worked for had been right there, like he wouldn't have had anything left to accomplish after this. It was almost chilling how at peace he was with such a gloomy thought. "Yes, you should've killed me." This was his chance – his eyes managed to capture the other's so that the man didn't see how he pulled a knife and aimed. "And I should've killed you the day you threatened my sister's life."

The knife sunk almost chillingly easily, especially considering how seemingly strong his opponent was. For several moments they simply stared at each other – their eyes doing all the talking – until Pein's eyes glazed over and the man slumped down in a defeated manner.

He stared at the corpse for the longest time, slowly beginning to realize that it was finally all over. He wondered why he couldn't feel more than he did at the moment.

Shock and adrenaline, perhaps, wiped him empty enough to allow him to think. He glanced down from the rooftop, taking in the sight below.

Down there, paramedics were working furiously on a still unconscious, sickeningly unmoving Sai, while one of them focused on trying to make contact with Sakura, who was obviously in a deep state of shock. Everything she could see and understand, however, was Sai.

Just then his eyes fixed to a body that was carried out of the building, covered by a white blanket. For a moment his heart almost stopped, until he noticed that Sasuke was carried out on a stretcher. She was unconscious and clearly injured, and it was hard to smother the desire to rush over to her. Naruto walked right beside her, seeming more worried than should've been humanly possible. Despite his worry the younger man's expression almost made him smile with something close to relief – at least someone was able to be by his sister's side. The last person who marched out was Suigetsu, handcuffed and his head bowed so that he couldn't see the man's face.

He fought back a sigh.

Some people weren't destined to have a happy ending.

He then steeled himself. Medics and ANBU agents had filled the area – it was only a matter of time before they'd find him, and he wouldn't be treated kindly. He had to hurry.

Casting a one last, nearly longing look towards Sasuke he moved.

The alleyway to which he ended up was rather dark and lonely, and for some reason he found himself feeling almost melancholic although relief was already filling him, taking place from the adrenaline and shock.

It was all over. Now…

Honestly, he didn't know what to do.

Just then he heard the sound of a car behind him. Alarmed at first he turned around, and recognized the car as Kisame's. He gulped thickly. He wasn't sure if the man knew he was a traitor – there was no telling how things would end.

He didn't manage to react in any way before the car's door was opened. Kisame's expression was unreadable. "Hop in – I take it as you're in a bit of a hurry." The man then grinned toothily. "There's someone who can't wait to see you, by the way."

* * *

About half an hour later – after most of the chaos had been sorted out – Yugao followed a strange hunch she couldn't explain. The moment she entered the half-cell she already considered Hayate's room, her insides froze at what she found.

The man was leaning against a windowsill, his face much paler than she would've ever wanted to see it. It was easy to tell that he was barely conscious. But what truly got to her was the blood she saw escaping from his mouth – the hand he'd brought to his lips was already tainted with red. He was coughing in a way that made her stomach knot.

Faster than thought she'd rushed over to him, all but pulled him into her arms. "Hey, what's wrong? What happened?" He'd always been so strong – it felt terrifying to see him like this.

It was clear that Hayate could barely speak but he tried anyhow, his eyes meeting hers with a lot of effort. "D – Danzo gave m – me something…" He coughed harshly, and even more blood escaped. She wondered with alarm if he was in pain. "He… He said it would help me remember…"

In a flash she understood, and instantly felt like killing someone.

Without a doubt Danzo had used one of ANBU's experimental mixtures. It was impossible to know how those would work, especially when mixing it with the stuff Orochimaru had used on Hayate. And suddenly she realized that there was no time to waste.

To hell with rules, she decided. Hayate's life was more important.

Very gently, not sure how much pain he was in, she helped him move. "Come on", she coaxed in a hoarse tone. "We've gotta get you to a hospital." Meeting his alarmed glance, she tried to smile. "Don't worry, they'll help you."

It almost broke her heart how much he trusted her as they moved.

The journey through the city seemed to take ages, but eventually they were only a couple of blocks from the hospital once stopping to traffic lights. Sneaking a nervous glance towards Hayate, she felt her heart skip a beat when realizing that his eyes were halfway closed – he'd almost blacked out.

_Shit…_

Whether he sensed her worry or not was impossible to tell, but just then Hayate spoke through bloody coughs. "You… know what?" He coughed, then gasped for breath. "I… I think that drug works, because… I remember…" He coughed and looked at her with hazy eyes. "I… I remember you."

Had the situation been any different, she would've smiled with joy. Now all she could do was hold his bloodied hand, hoping and praying that he wouldn't let go.

The traffic light before them then turned green. Swallowing down all there was swelling inside her and fighting bravely against tears, she pushed the car into motion. Just then everything happened in such a speed that she couldn't keep up.

Out of nowhere – from behind a red light – another car appeared, and hit theirs before she could do a thing to stop it. And they were sent flying.

As metal screeched and a hit after another came she grabbed Hayate's hand almost desperately, holding on tight and grabbing even harder when he didn't squeeze back. She couldn't even speak.

And then she knew nothing more.

* * *

Several hours later there was what could be called a controlled chaos in the hospital's emergency ward as a rather familiar group wandered there like a pack of lost ghosts.

Sakura was fairly sure that if she would've had enough strength and concentration for such, she would've screamed. The events of the past hours felt like some horrible, sickening nightmare that just wouldn't stop.

Sai… He was in a very bad shape, that's what she'd managed to hear from the muffled conversation of the paramedics. He could still die, slip away from her. And Sasuke… She didn't even know what was going on with her best friend. The stench of Sai's blood on her clothes only made her feel sicker than she had already.

The hand that was laid to her shoulder made her jump although it was soft. "Sakura?" She'd never seen the kind of expression on Kakashi's face she did then. "Everything's going to work out. We just need to wait and be strong." Something told her that he wasn't any braver than she was.

And that thought made the barriers crumble. Without being able to say a word she speeded into the nearest toilet and threw up everything there was in her and more.

When she came back, her heart nearly stilled when she noticed that the doctor had finally made his entrance. The man seemed utterly exhausted, but something about the look on his face made her chest swell with hope.

He must've heard her steps or her thick gulp, because he turned around to see her. She spoke before he got the chance to even introduce himself. "How are they?"

The thin smile that appeared to his face was almost enough to make her cry out with joy. "Naruto's injuries were rather superficial. We discharged him, but he wanted to stay behind and wait. Sasuke was already injured and the knife hit her to a bad spot, making her lose a lot of blood, but we're sure she'll be fine. She's awake and she has a lot of question, about her parents and such."

She was fairly sure Kakashi fell pale. The man's moves seemed stiff and off while he walked away. "I… should go and talk to her." He didn't even ask if visitors were allowed or in which room the Uchiha was.

Sakura's attention was soon on entirely different matters. She swallowed once more when looking at the doctor, an almost praying with her eyes. "What about Sai? Is he going to be okay?"

The look on the doctor's face made her feel cold inside. "He's… in a surgery right now. We're not sure how much damage was done yet, but he's lost quite a bit of blood and there's still internal bleeding." The man sighed heavily. "I'm… sorry, but we don't know yet."

She didn't even hear the final sentence. She was trembling pitiably, and she could actually feel how color drained from her face. She'd never wanted to scream as badly.

_Not now… Please, not again…!_

She'd already lost Lee. She couldn't…!

This time, she didn't make it to the toilet. A couple of tears slipped through while she threw up to the floor, oblivious to the looks she was getting.

She wondered if that was what the end of the world was supposed to feel like.

* * *

Sasuke had almost fallen into a sleep of some sort when the sound of a door opening caught her attention. Feeling groggy and dizzy, she turned her gaze. Something inside her twitched when she found Kakashi, who had a solemn expression on his face.

They'd always been close – for years almost like a father and daughter, or siblings. But now…

The distance between them felt miles long.

"He… said that you've been telling me fairytales." Her eyes hardened. "I want to hear the truth – right now."

Kakashi sighed heavily and closed his eyes. "I was afraid he'd tell you."

Bitterness rose inside her before she even sensed it coming. She couldn't look at him anymore. "You know… It's kind of funny that in a way, he was more honest with me than you were."

There was a moment of heavy silence. "I know." His tone was filled with sadness.

During the next ten minutes she heard a story that made her feel sick to her stomach – the final, ultimate truth of her family she'd always considered perfect. And when she demanded it all – although hearing the truth was almost unbearable – she also heard the full story of Naruto, of how he'd once been a member of the Akatsuki, of the training he'd received.

When Kakashi left an hour later, she didn't make a move to stop him.

As soon as he'd left she threw up.

-

Kakashi didn't know how long he'd been standing by the hospital's entrance or how long the sound had been going on before he finally realized his cell-phone was ringing. "Yeah?"

"It's… me." Did Anko just gulp? "Look… Hayate and Yugao have been in a accident."

* * *

Not all that far away, TenTen's eyelids – which had been closed for such a long time – fluttered all of a sudden – first uncertain, then more determinedly as the will inside her grew.

At first the only thing that made sense was pain, and only something that'd been pushed into her throat kept her from emitting a sound of discomfort. Then, very slowly, she became aware of the feeling that someone was looking at her.

Although it hurt almost more than she could bear, she turned her gaze to see Kimimaro sitting on a chair that'd been dragged beside her bed. The man's face seemed much paler than usual, giving a stark contrast to the painfully dark, huge black shadows that underlined somewhat glazed green eyes. Kimimaro's expression was such that it actually hurt her a little – the strangest mixture of confusion, anger, exhaustion and ache.

It was clear that he _knew_.

And that was when she understood that the delicate, fragile order of things she'd been trying to hold together had crumbled apart. She'd been asleep too long – that much she realized although her head was fuzzy from medication, fatigue and pain.

Neither of them said a word as they explored the new future they could see in each other's eyes.

* * *

Sakura hated feeling helpless. And as she stood before the huge glass that separated her from the unconscious form of Sai like a mountain she felt like all strength and power had been ripped from her, like she'd fallen from the highest of all rooftops. She would've wanted to cry, but she was feeling too much to be granted any tears.

"You… You need to be strong, do you hear me?" She barely realized she was talking. She gulped laboriously, hating the taste that appeared to her mouth. "I need you to come back to me, okay? I need you – I… I love you."

She took a deep breath, finally realizing that there was one thing that might just work…

Her eyes carried a searing sensation as she went on. "I… already have one child growing up without her father." She brought a hand to her stomach. "I… I want yours to be luckier, okay? So you need to wake up – for both our sakes."

Nothing but silence answered her.

* * *

Hours ticked by torturously slow while Sasuke lay on the bed into which her newest doctor and a rather frightening looking nurse had practically tied her up to. Despite the strong medication her wounds hurt, and her mind kept jumping so that her head was hurting as well.

So… Her father had been Orochimaru's associate – he'd even went as far as promising that she and Itachi belonged to the man as well? And… It'd been no criminal organization that'd killed her parents – it'd been Danzo calling the shots, and Kakashi had known it all along, even when recruiting her.

She just couldn't believe that story. She couldn't believe that her own father could've done something so unspeakable – supported something like Orochimaru, promised his own children into the hands of a devil. But…

She squeezed her eyes tightly closed when her thoughts jumped again.

For some reason she found herself thinking about Suigetsu, which was about the last thing she would've expected. Anger – perhaps even rage – filled her, but along with that came immense sadness she hadn't expected, most likely intensified by fatigue and medication. Once upon a time they'd been happy, free from secrets and ache.

Why did everything have to get so messed up?

With that bitter thought her mind immediately strayed to Naruto, and her eyes narrowed while immense pain filled her entire skull.

She didn't even want to get started there.

Naruto had once been a member of the Akatsuki – that much she knew now, when all had finally been cleared out. And she'd been Orochimaru's student, for a long time a possible successor. They were even when it came to lying and deceiving. So why did she feel sick to her stomach?

In the end she didn't even have the energy to care.

She must've dozed off, because the next time she opened her eyes the small room was very dark. She frowned, in the security of the shadows winced as pain flowed through her, then allowed her ears to sharpen. She heard breathing that seemed to be somewhat out of rhythm; her visitor was obviously nervous.

Her muscles tensed up as she prepared herself for something very unpleasant, and her eyes grew harder than steel. She turned her gaze to see a somewhat blurry, unidentifiable figure sitting on a chair next to her bed. "You have five seconds to identify yourself", she growled, hoping that her voice didn't give away the fact that she was in no condition to fight.

"Uhm… I'm… sorry if I startled you." It took a while before she identified the exhausted voice as Naruto's. "I just… I wanted to see you."

She closed her eyes for a moment, collecting her thoughts. In truth the blond's presence felt good, but… "Hn." She licked her lips because they felt painfully dry, trying to sort out her thoughts. "I'm fine. So stop worrying." She kept her sentences short in fear of losing her voice.

She heard Naruto swallow hard before the man spoke again, quietly. "What about us?" Her eyes getting used to the room's darkness, she saw how tense he was. She couldn't help wondering if he was all right. "Are we… okay?" he nearly whispered. Obviously the man knew she'd been told the truth, and she wondered if Kakashi had granted him the news of her past as well.

She fought the desire to groan while she looked away from him and lifted her gaze towards the ceiling. Shadows circled there like a pack of vultures. She couldn't speak.

-

The more the silence stretched, the more hopeless Naruto found himself becoming. Although he'd most likely been given more medication than was wise, his wounds were suddenly throbbing unbearably. "Oh", was all he managed to squeeze out.

Sasuke glanced towards him in the darkness, then looked back away with a groan, rubbing her face with one hand. "I just… had my whole life turned upside down." She then shook her head, not looking at him but leaning slightly closer. "I don't know what to think about anything anymore, okay? And I'm pretty sure you've got a lot to deal with as well. So let's not hurry this, okay?"

He nodded, feeling a lump of disappointment in his throat. "I know." And in a way he really did, although he wouldn't have wanted to admit it. He glanced towards her rather cautiously, wondering how he should proceed. In the end he took her hand, holding on determinedly.

Even if she didn't believe in anything else anymore, he was going to make sure she'd at least believe in him and the fact that he wasn't going away. That he'd never betray her.

And so they sat there like two confused little children, not having the slightest clue as to what would happen next.

There'd be a long road ahead of them, and neither knew how things would turn out.

And for some reason, they were both okay with the uncertainty, at least for now.

-

Neither of them happened to glance towards the window that opened a view to the room. Behind it stood Itachi, watching them with a barely visible smile on his face.

"Do you want to stay longer?" The female voice managed to surprise him – he'd almost forgotten about Hana's presence. There was a soft look he'd never seen before in her eyes.

He shook his head, his own eyes softening as well, then glanced towards his sister once more. It felt better than he would've ever expected to see how obviously happy Sasuke was deep down. "No, I don't need to stay for her anymore. And Kisame's waiting." His hand was gentle as it rubbed Hana's abdomen. She immediately placed her own hand to cover his, and he could've sworn he was able to feel the kicks and movements already. "Let's go home." Wherever it'd be.

And so they disappeared like shadows, leaving the couple inside the room to their own peace.

* * *

**Two Weeks Later**

* * *

Jiraiya had never been much of a morning person. That's why it was handy that as a well respected prosecutor, he was fairly free to decide his own working hours.

That morning, however, something urged him to wake up and crawl to his office far earlier than he would've considered human. He blinked twice when noticing that there was a tiny package waiting for him. Opening it up, he felt some chills when finding a disc and a note.

_We're leaving for a bit soon, but before that I wanted to leave you this disc that started out this whole mess. I don't want to see with my eyes ever again, but perhaps you'll find some use for it._

_Take care of yourself, will you? And stop taking hopeless cases._

_Naruto_

With a frail smile on his face, he took the disc and slid it almost cautiously into a drawer that could be locked heavily; the item held company to both Naruto and Sasuke's files. He hoped dearly he or anyone else would never have to take a look at those things again.

Orochimaru was dead – the case was finally over. Perhaps that meant that the past could finally be buried, and those two tormented souls could live happily wherever they disappeared off to.

* * *

TBC, for an epilogue.

* * *

A/N: The story's almost over! (starts bawling) MAN – it's starting to sink in now. (sniffs) Let's hope that at least some of those poor things get a happy ending!

GAH, I'm in a HUUUUUUGE hurry right now (technically, I should've updated already…), so I've gotta tune out. PLEASE, leave a review to let me know what you thought about this chappy – hearing from ya guys would really help with making the last chappy, you know…? (glances hopefully)

Awkay, until the next and (SNIFF) last time!

Take care!


	14. Outro

A/N: Guess what? It's time for the FINAL chapter – gosh, I can't even believe it!

But, before sealing this story… Thank you from the bottom of my heart for those fantastic reviews! (huuugs) You guys have given me tons of inspiration, ya know? Thank you! And monumental special thank you to my wonderful proofreader **Serenityofthematrix**! (hugs)

Awkay, I bet you all want to know how this ends, so without further… Let's ROCK! (grins) I really hope you'll like this ending.

* * *

The beginning of the tape was nothing but a confusing blur of people running around and chuckling, and most of the time only a pair of filthy brown shoes could be seen. Then – with the one filming apparently remembering their job – people actually appeared.

The first person appearing was an extremely beautiful girl with pink hair, extremely dark, huge eyes and pale skin. She grinned brightly, obviously enjoying the attention, and waved at the camera, practically pressing her face to the lens.

"Sora!" The camera moved, showing Sakura's all but exasperated face. She scooped the five-year-old into her arms. "Don't you think you've been in enough pictures already?"

The child pouted, but nonetheless clung to her. "Mommy!"

The one filming snickered, and unfortunately to the poor soul Sakura heard it. She cast a nearly murderous glare towards the camera. "We'll see if you look that smug when you have kids", she all but snarled under her breath.

For a few moments the camera lingered on random moments. It captured Sakura sliding into the lap of Sai – who was sitting in a wheelchair – and the two of them sharing an intimate moment, a somewhat torn looking Kakashi hugging Yugao who had her back to the camera, along with Kimimaro and TenTen dancing.

Finally, the camera stopped to what it had most likely been looking for all along. On the dance floor's edge – far away from everyone's sight – a very happy married couple was dancing. The husband's hungry hands were moving wildly on the bride's white dress and long, black hair.

Whether the sound erupting from Sasuke was a chuckle or a groan was impossible to tell. "If you don't stop that, there's no way we'll make it to the suite."

Naruto grinned like a very satisfied cat in the sun. "Would that be such a bad thing?" The man then leaned to Sasuke's ear and whispered something that made the woman wrap her arms tightly around him and lean close. Smiling extremely happily, the Uzumaki held his wife tenderly.

It was then Naruto finally noticed that there was someone filming them. The flash in those blue eyes was nothing compared to that in Sasuke's when the woman noticed the prying eyes as well. "Kiba, put that camera away now!"

There was a small scream from Kiba before the film was cut.

* * *

CHAPTER 13: Epilogue

* * *

**_Eight Years Later _**(1)

* * *

Naruto, who was currently wearing a black tuxedo, smiled fondly while taking the wedding tape out of the recorder. To think how many things had changed…

After Sasuke and he had recovered from the battle with Orochimaru, they'd spent a couple of years traveling around the world, trying to mend the cuts and bruises on their relationship. In the end they'd succeeded during the darkest hours of one hot night in Barcelona. When they'd come back to Japan, Sasuke had talked things through with Kakashi – and left ANBU's active force. She now instructed new agents, and he taught psychology to high school students. Finally, after years of working things out, they were both happy. Shadows of the past had been defeated.

The familiar voice appearing startled him out of his thoughts. "Don't tell me you were watching that again?" There was an amused expression on Sasuke's face while she leaned against the doorframe, her arms folded. "You're hopeless."

Grinning somewhat sheepishly, he walked up to her. Despite the black dress she was wearing it was very easy to spot her mightily swollen bump. He caressed her stomach fondly. "Pregnancy suits you, you know?"

Sasuke's expression softened a little. "Hn."

It was then he remembered once again what today was about. His eyes were solemn when searching through hers. "Are you okay?"

She nodded stiffly, no longer meeting his gaze. "Yeah. Let's just go and get this over with, okay?"

He could only nod.

* * *

A nursing center's small, surprisingly comfortable room was almost exhaustingly hot while two people sat on a bed.

Yugao's eyes carried something close to desperation while she showed Hayate one picture after another. Each time she got dishearteningly little reaction as a response, but didn't let that discourage her. "Do you remember this?" she tried, showing him the picture of a butterfly. "Can you tell me what this is?"

Hayate's eyes moved, and for a long, almost still moment he observed the picture carefully, as though he'd never seen the animal it represented before. Then, very slowly, his eyes grew dull once more and he looked away, as though someone had flipped a switch. He'd slipped away again as deviously swiftly as he'd appeared.

She felt like crying, but smiled instead although it hurt. "Okay. Maybe you'll remember tomorrow." Already then she knew better than to really expect that.

After the car-crash – which had almost killed them both – the Hayate she'd known was gone, for good. Doctors couldn't tell if it was because of brain damage or something Danzou had given him, but either way it was almost like Hayate's head had been wiped blank. During the darkest of days, Yugao wondered sullenly if even death had been more merciful.

"Mrs. Hatake?" A rather gentle male nurse's voice chased those thoughts away, and Yugao forced herself to focus on his words. "I'm sorry, but it's time for you to go." There was a look of sympathy on the nurse's face. "These sessions do him good, but they also put him through a lot of strain."

She nodded, a bitter taste filling her mouth. "I understand." She then turned towards Hayate, feeling a harsh stab of pain when finding no recognition from his unfamiliar eyes. "I have to go now, but I'll come back as soon as I can, okay?"

She hoped from the bottom of her heart that Hayate's move of the head had been a nod, not a sign of the man falling asleep.

As soon as she was out of the room she grit her teeth to hold back tears and balled her fists, lifting her gaze towards the roof she'd learned to hate years ago.

Gosh, how it still hurt sometimes!

Hurt to see him like this.

Hurt to treat him like a child when he most certainly wasn't one.

Hurt like hell to know that he knew less than her son, who was only two years old.

But she figured that she owed Hayate enduring this ache. She'd been the one driving that day – it was her fault that things were like this. Therefore it was also her duty to try her hardest to make things right, although all doctors had given up long ago.

"Yugao?" Kakashi's voice was hoarse, and his guilt-ridden eyes softer than usual. "How is he?"

She merely shook her head as a response. She couldn't bring herself to resist when he wrapped his arms around her, although it felt like she'd been cheating on Hayate.

A part of her hated this, although she knew this was right.

It'd been eight years. Why were they still feeling like this? Would these feeling ever go away?

Gritting her teeth, she held on to her husband as tightly as she could. "Let's… Let's just go home, okay?" She blinked to rid the stinging in her eyes. "I'm tired."

Kakashi's arm was wrapped supportively around her as they left, using all their willpower not to look back. The building's doors closed like prison's gates behind them.

* * *

Sasuke didn't know how to feel as she stood at the very edge of the cemetery, watching how a funeral service proceeded slowly yet inevitably.

There weren't many people – only a few friends, one of which she recognized as Kisame, along with a brunet woman she'd never seen before, sitting beside a boy who looked so familiar that it hurt. Whereas the woman was crying almost hysterically, the boy fought with his all, much too familiar black eyes filled with such agony she knew from experience would never really fade away.

Very slowly her gaze moved to the coffin that'd just been laid to the deep hole, and something that almost crushed her with its power flowed over her.

She'd never expected to grieve today, but now that reality started to sink in…

Itachi was _gone_, forever. She'd never see her brother again.

And for some reason it was hard to hold back tears, so she closed her eyes.

"Sasuke?" Her eyes flew open to discover that at some point the mysterious woman with brown hair had appeared before her. It was easy to see that the woman was still fighting against tears, but she was composed. "I'm Hana – your brother's wife. Itachi… told me a lot about you."

She frowned and folded her arms, not sure how to feel about those words. Suddenly her heart was much heavier than before.

Most likely seeing what was going through her mind, Hana went on. "I know Itachi did many things you consider unforgivable. But… He also loved you – more than you could ever imagine. Maybe you'll be ready to accept that and love him again eventually." The woman blinked rapidly, obviously fighting against emotions. "When you do, I… I want you to find me – us. Because I'll never forget him, and I really hope you won't, either." With that Hana walked away, back to her son and the other guests.

She didn't know how long she'd been there – oblivious to how moist and warm her cheeks became - until she was startled out of her thoughts by a hand that was laid to her shoulder. Turning her gaze, she met Naruto's sympathy filled eyes. "Are you okay?" he all but whispered.

She turned her gaze towards the freshly made grave, feeling like there'd been a storm inside her. "Hn…", was all she managed while her eyes strayed to examining how Itachi's name looked when it was engraved in stone.

Just then her thoughts strayed entirely elsewhere when a harsh jolt of pain crossed her body, soon followed by another. She couldn't restrain a tiny gasp while bringing a hand to her mightily swollen stomach.

"Sasuke?" Naruto then shuddered, realizing what was going on. "Oh shit…"

"Take me to the hospital." Her eyes flashed as a yet another stab came. "Now." Because this was no false alarm.

* * *

Naruto was feeling embarrassingly dizzy while he watched how Sasuke pushed and screamed far more times than he could count, all the while squeezing his hand so tightly that he was fairly sure bones had already been fractured.

"When this is all over with I'm going to kill you, do you hear me!" she all but shrieked, her eyes squeezed tightly shut as pain ravished her. "I'll never forgive you for this!"

If possible his dizziness intensified, and he was ridiculously relieved that Sasuke didn't notice how he swayed on his spot.

The midwife didn't seem all that fazed by all the havoc. "It's almost over now, Sasuke! Right now I need you to push hard so the baby's shoulders come out, all right? Push!"

With a loud scream that almost destroyed Naruto's eardrums Sasuke did as ordered. The single push seemed to take forever – until there was a frail sound that smothered absolutely everything.

A baby's cry – shrill and reassuring.

Naruto's head was spinning so badly that he could barely see while he looked towards Sasuke, who was obviously exhausted. "Do… Do you hear that, 'Suke? It's… It's our child!"

The midwife smiled at them. "Congratulations. You have a healthy little baby girl."

With those words he finally did what'd been inevitable for a long time.

He passed out to the hospital's floor.

* * *

About half an hour later, a rather nervous group sat in the hospital's waiting room.

Sakura was focused on walking around the room and blabbering constantly, and Sai – having grown used to his wife's antics during five years of marriage – did his best to calm her down. TenTen was watching all this with a tiny smile on her face.

It felt like it'd been ages from the time when the four of them had been members of ANBU, and they'd been so very sure about everything. Now…

Well, during the past years they'd all learned that in life, there's rarely anything clear and certain. She'd learned that with three miscarriages, with Sakura and Sai it'd taken the man losing his capability to walk. For Naruto and Sasuke the road had been even longer and harder.

But now… Now, they were all here together – they'd survived. Perhaps that meant they were stronger than they'd thought.

Kimimaro's warm breath felt incredibly good on her skin, the man's voice made her shiver with pleasure. "What are you thinking about?"

She smiled, examining his face with her gaze. "Nothing in particular."

It'd taken a lot of time and hard work before Kimimaro had learned to trust her again, finally as the person she really was. Now they'd been married for two years, and even without children she knew they couldn't have been happier.

She wrapped her hand gently around the man's.

"Well finally!" Sakura's voice brought her back from her thoughts. "What took you so long? What's going on?"

Looking towards the same direction as the pinkette, she found Kiba who had a goofy grin on his face. "It's a girl!" the brunet declared.

In a flash they were all moving.

* * *

In a room not all that far away, Naruto – who'd just come to – and Sasuke – who was utterly exhausted – marvelled at the tiny baby-girl, who was yawning softly in her mother's arms.

"Are you sure she's okay?" Naruto's clearly apparent concern was almost amusing to Sasuke – the blond had been fretting since waking up. "Is she warm? Are you sure she's not hungry? What if we hurt her?"

In the end she rolled her eyes with a smile. "Stop fussing, dobe. Don't you see that she's fine?" She then looked towards her daughter, and her eyes turned into such that'd never been seen before. _She's_ _perfect_.

Naruto kissed her hair, wrapping tender arms around her. "I know." The blond mused for a moment before speaking. "What do you think we should name her?"

She found herself smiling when the child opened her eyes just a little bit, revealing pools of onyx. "How about Takara?"

Naruto never had the chance to comment, because just then there was a knock and Kiba peered in with a somewhat sheepish grin. "Guys… You don't mind that I brought company, do you?" Before either one of them managed to respond the whole gang barged into the room, gathering to take a look at the newborn.

As from that moment a full-flexed havoc erupted. Sasuke, however, barely even noticed anything but her family, which had recently expanded.

Finally, after so much struggle and grief, she was happy. And she remained that way for the rest of her life.

* * *

**_Thirty-Two Years Later_**

* * *

With a deep sigh, Naruto caressed the picture of him and Sasuke Aiko had just shown him. The memories were still painful and retelling the story to his granddaughter had been exhausting, but he wasn't tired.

He glanced towards Aiko, who was sleeping soundly in her bed, then pushed himself up. For the first time in years his steps led him to the house's attic.

It wasn't all that hard to find the photo album he'd hidden so very carefully. Although he already knew it'd be almost unbearably painful he started going through the precious mementos.

The pictures revealed countless wonderful, dear memories. Snapshots of happiness, of celebrations, and even one picture of him and Sasuke sleeping in each other's arms. So many good memories he wanted to salvage, no matter how much they hurt.

Despite all the years passed, Naruto's eyes flowed over a little when he found the last picture. It represented Sasuke, who was obviously exhausted to the core and very sick while resting in a hospital-bed. Nonetheless she was holding an oblivious, grinning Takara. The girl was only seven.

It'd been shortly after Takara's birth they'd found out just how little time they might have left – that the pregnancy's toll on Sasuke's heart had been too great. She'd fought bravely, of course – with all her vigour. But in the end…

Sasuke had died less than twelve hours after that picture was taken, sleeping soundly in his arms.

He'd only taken one picture since, after Aiko had been born.

Suddenly a familiar presence seemed to fill the room and his body. "You shouldn't keep going through those, you know?" Sasuke's voice was so clear in his ears that it was nearly impossible to imagine that it wasn't real. "It's unhealthy to cling to the past."

A huge lump immediately formed in his throat, making him emit a choked sound. His eyes stung and blurred. "I… I miss you", he managed. "Do you have any idea how hard it's been alone?"

Gosh, how real the arms wrapping around him felt…! "I know – I've heard all those times you've tried to talk to me."

Although he knew it to be irrational, he felt a small flare of anger. "Then why didn't you answer me?!"

Did Sasuke just chuckle? "Because you wouldn't listen. Don't tell me you didn't even notice that I've been here all along."

Attempting to calm himself and to keep himself from breaking down, he glanced towards the photographs before him. "Takara, and Aiko… They look just like you."

"Hmm." With that sound, he wondered if Sasuke would've wanted to touch the pictures as well. "You've taken a good care of them, you know?"

The lump from before reappeared to his throat, making it almost impossible to speak. "I… I wish they'd gotten to know you."

"I wish so, too." Sasuke sounded almost sad for a moment. "But sometimes fate just doesn't work the way we want it to."

He snorted bitterly. "Tell me something I don't know."

"Naruto." Sasuke's voice was so stern that it claimed all his attention. "Stop that – bitterness doesn't suit you."

He sighed heavily, closing his eyes. "I know." He wished he could've turned to look at Sasuke, but he didn't dare to. If he turned, he'd have to face the fact that he was looking at nothing but a ghost, a figment of his imagination – perhaps he'd even meet nothing but thin air. And that was a thought he didn't think he'd be able to face.

"I love you", he then whispered almost fervently, afraid that the time they had together was running short. This time, he felt a couple of tears break from his hold. "I love you so much."

He hoped from the bottom of his heart it'd been a real kiss he felt. "I love you too." Something cool caressed his trembling hand. "And… I'll see you again soon. I need you to be strong until then." With that the voice and presence disappeared, as though never having been there.

For a full minute he sat there, completely paralyzed. Then, very slowly, he smiled through his tears. "Yeah… I'll see you soon."

* * *

Five days later, a friend found Naruto, who'd died in his sleep.

There was a smile on the blond's face.

* * *

_**Owari**_.

* * *

1) After the last chapter, in case you're wondering. (grins)

* * *

A/N: Gosh… (sniffs) I can't believe this story is over! (sniffs again) Man, it sucks letting a story go. (pouts)

But now… Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading, listing and reviewing! This story would've never been completed without you guys, you know? So thank you! (hugs, and showers you with treats)

I've gotta get going now, but PLEASE do review and let me know what you thought about this ending before taking off! I'd love to hear from you guys, ya know? (bats irresistible eyelashes)

Once more thank you! 'Hope I'll see ya all someday!

Take care!


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